CSU-Pueblo Associated Students’ Government members made big changes to their policy manual and constitution March 3 during their weekly senate meeting.
The meeting, which was held in the ASG chambers at 6 p.m., allowed members to address and vote on many changes to become part of the constitution and policy manual.
Major changes that were being approved in ASG include the removal of two senator at-large positions, along with the removal of the speaker position. The vice president will take on the speaker’s duties.
Another change included the creation of a chief of staff position, which is reoccurring. The IT director and internal affairs director positions were also removed.
By cutting two at-large positions, ASG will save a total of $2,800 each year. Originally, there were six members in the senator at-large positions. With the cuts, there are four. Senator at-large members had little to no duties, apart from acting as representatives for the ASG. This was a major factor in the decision to cut these positions.
Some of the chief of staff’s job duties include overseeing a cohesive project that is responsive to student concerns, ideas and needs within the academic year. The chief of staff will also supervise multiple specific projects carried out by members of ASG. The hope is that the position will allow ASG to be much more focused on achieving effective change.
The position, like all positions within the ASG, will also require extensive work to ensure that the student body at CSU-Pueblo is represented fairly. The replacement of the IT director and internal affairs director positions with the chief of staff position will save ASG about $1,000.
By cutting the speaker of the senate, and with the vice president acting in that position at senate meetings, the ASG will save $3,000. Unlike senators, the speaker position was paid over the summer. Shifting the duties of the speaker to the vice president will allow ASG to function more efficiently.
According to Robert’s Rules, the chair of a meeting neither has the right to speak, nor the right to vote, except to break a tie.
The senate also voted on proposals to remove two justice positions, and to move the ASG meeting time to Mondays at 4 p.m. Though there was much discussion on each point, members voted against approving these changes.
All of the savings resulting from the cuts will allow ASG to create a new source of funding for initiatives.
At the conclusion of the meeting, the senate voted to approve ASG President Timothy Zercher’s proposed budget, which reflected these new allocations.
The proposed budget will stay at $70,000 total, which remains consistent with last year’s funding constraints.
“I believe that these changes are actually very significant. Tonight we completely restricted both the executive and legislative branch and increased our savings from salaries, which is something that has not happened in many years,” Zercher said. “I am very proud of our senate.”
“Overall they voted to put less money toward the members of ASG and more back to the students of CSU-Pueblo through initiatives and projects. I am very excited to see how ASG grows next year, and I hope with the changes we have made tonight that they are able to surpass what we have achieved this year,” he said.
