Students last week said “No We Can’t” to change when once again, Matt Coito, Brenda Pierce and Terry Link were elected to another year as executive council members of ASCOCC. The election provides another opportunity for the same three people to govern the student body and students should expect more of the same. The election also highlights several flaws in the way ASCOCC is governed and the way elections are run here at the school.
The election system is flawed and needs to be revised in order to make room for more voices on student council. The council members are highly paid—making $750 a month— and student clubs come out to support them in elections.
Clubs and programs receive their funding from student government. When student government allocates money to groups, and those groups come out to support the “hand that feeds them,” then there really isn’t a check and balance on student government power, and the same people are elected over and over again.
As it is now, council members can serve on each position on the student council for a two year maximum. If they keep getting elected to the council, or getting appointed to general council afterwards, they can serve a total of 12 years. Without term limits and with members allowed to appoint their friends and allies, it creates an election system that is fundamentally flawed.
The need for a student government at any college is imperative. Positions in student council can teach students important skills in governing. However, students who run for elections at Central Oregon Community College have to campaign against individuals who already know how to play the game.
Current members were elected according to the rules of an election process that includes a vote on Blackboard and a constitution that allows for no significant change if current members don’t want it. You can have a 2.0 GPA, only be taking one credit, enjoy no oversight over your expenditures and the council in total makes $54,000 over three terms. Who wouldn’t want to hang on to this job in tough economic times?
The student government should be a place where COCC students can make a commitment to the council, learn new skills, exercise their vision, leadership and teamwork skills and then move on so that fellow students get a chance to work on those skills. This is not a replacement for a full time job, no matter what valued contributions current members have made.
There were elements to the campaign that should get the attention of student election regulators. It appears that a mass email was sent out in clear voilation of COCC policy. If there are counter claims that the email was sent to known individuals, that is false. A survey of the campus is all it takes to prove that claim wrong. By breaking election rules with no consequence, you insult the process. All the other candidates should have had the same exposure and an apology should come from the person who sent out the mass email.
The current incumbents, some more than others, ran a very aggressive campaign. They wanted to win. The stakes were high. And if they got the majority of votes they may feel like they truly represent the student body, a mandate so to speak, and this is the primary failing of the way the system is set up.
