ASUSU Discusses New Regulations for Election

By Marie MacKay from the Hard News Café

 

January 18, 2006| The ASUSU Executive Council discussed Tuesday, whether it should be allowed to support candidates who will run for an ASUSU student government position this semester.

 

There is no formal written policy at Utah State University. The council determines the guidelines each year, said Public Relations Director Holly Scott.

 

"We try to run elections as the real world runs them," Scott said.

 

Members of the council discussed whether making specifics rules of how ASUSU officials can support candidates could be detrimental.

 

"Unless we have a strong opinion one way or another, we should just let the race run its course," said ASUSU President Quinn Millet.

 

In years past, there have been problems with ASUSU officials sponsoring specific candidates through multiple forms of communication.

 

"We need to be 100 percent one way or 100 percent in the other in my personal opinion," said Administrative Assistant Joseph Ure.

 

Legislation concerning the topic will be put on the agenda during the council's next meeting on Jan. 24. Election packets are available for students interested in running.

 

The council also discussed including legislation that would only allow professors to order textbooks that have been on the market for at least one year.

 

"There are not enough books," said Programming Vice President Laurel Evans. "Textbooks don't change that much in a year."

 

This semester, many students were not able to buy some of the textbooks for their classes because they were new editions and not enough of them were in print, Evans said.

 

Another idea was to takes step to making the financial aid office more student-friendly. Athletics Vice President Rosie Strong said she has heard of students that were misinformed of the financial aid situation, which delayed their schooling.

 

One solution to the problem would be to have student employees be better trained about the rules and regulations involved with financial aid at the university.