The Student News Site of Central Oregon Community College

The Broadside

The Student News Site of Central Oregon Community College

The Broadside

The Student News Site of Central Oregon Community College

The Broadside

It’s time for you to vote

Voting
Photo Illustration | Zak Remer | The Broadside

Lauren Hamlen
The Broadside

After months of discussion and more than $27,000 spent on a Public Relations consultant and a lawyer, Associated
Students of Central Oregon Community College is ready for students to vote on changes to the ASCOCC constitution.

The new constitution “provides a long-term foundation for ASCOCC operations, creates new opportunities for expanded student involvement in leadership positions and campus governance, and allows ASCOCC to continue to coordinate student activities and events,” said Student Life Director Gordon Price in an email to students.

When asked what the main benefits of the constitution are for students, ASCOCC members referred questions to their lawyer Greg Lynch.

“Because of the importance of completing this effort successfully, I have asked the council members to refrain from public discussions of any issues that relate in any way to the process … with what the ASCOCC and the college administration have been working to achieve,” said Lynch in a March 23 email despite the recent questions addressing items other than the process behind the negotiations.

Pierce did, however, release the following statement:

“ASCOCC fully supports ratification of the new Constitution to be presented to the student body on April 4, 2011. The new Constitution is a positive result of months of collaboration with COCC’s President and members of the Administration. We are enthusiastic in our support and look forward to our continued work with the President and Administration to compete this process.”

Students will be able to vote on the Constitution once it is presented via Blackboard. Those votes will then be noted by the COCC Board of Directors who will then vote on the new constitution in their April board meeting. If the board members vote to adopt the new document, it will then go into effect.

Lauren Hamlin can be reached at [email protected]

Changes in the Proposed Constitution

• An Advisory Board to guide ASCOCC and COCC on issues and opportunities.

• A Student Budget Committee to work with ASCOCC to advise its annual budget.

• An Appointment Committee to select appointed council member positions.

• A Hearings Board.

• An increase in the required term Grade Point Average for elected or appointed members from 2.0 to 2.3.

• An increase in the minimum credits required for members from one to six.

• A term limit of three years. There are no term limits in the current constitution, only a limit on the terms a member can hold a specific position.

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