Speaker of the Senate looks to include vice presidents in roll call
Last week, Speaker of the Student Senate Adam Weyhaupt announced that he would start to include student vice presidents in the senate roll call, despite the fact that vice presidents aren’t required to attend senate meetings.
The Student Government constitution gives little power to vice presidents in senate business, said Kristin Rutter, student vice president for academic affairs. In addition to not being required to attend meetings, vice presidents aren’t allowed to vote on senate legislation, Rutter said.
Weyhaupt, though, said including the five student vice presidents in the role call is not a constitutional issue, as the vice presidents are not included in the final tally.
Weyhaupt said calling the vice presidents’ names would provide students with a way to monitor the job the vice presidents are doing.
“They are elected representatives of the student body,” Weyhaupt said. “Although they are not required to attend senate meetings, there should be a mechanism (for the student body) to know whether or not their elected officials are attending meetings.”
Weyhaupt also said that attendance for some vice presidents is not what it could be.
“It’s a gesture on (Weyhaupt’s) part to include us more in the (senate) meetings,” said Tommy Brewer, vice president for financial affairs. Vice President for Public Affairs Joe Crocker said that including the student vice presidents in the role call would “make us more accountable for our actions.”
“We try to make the meetings anyway, but this is a positive,” Crocker said.
Rutter agreed that the idea was a good one, and said that she thinks it is important for senate members and her to be in touch with each other.
“It’s important that senators know what I’m doing,” Rutter said.
However, both Brewer and Rutter said they would be more concerned if Weyhaupt increased the vice presidents’ role in senate affairs.
“I don’t see how we could possibly do more, because we’re supposed to be separate from the senate,” Rutter said.
“I have quite a bit on my plate already,” Brewer said. “I don’t know if I would want any more duties.”
Brewer said, though, that he would be glad to help senate members whenever possible.
“I know (Weyhaupt) wants us to be involved in senate, as we, as vice presidents, want to be involved,” Brewer said.
Weyhaupt said that he is not planning to spring more duties on the vice presidents.
“I have nothing more up my sleeve,” Weyhaupt said.