Spring Break
Possible cut to controversial senate office
Chris Curtis
Issue date: 10/17/08 Section: News
10/17/08 - The controversial post of Chief Operations Officer (COO) for the University of Rhode Island Student Senate is up for dissolution again, as announced at Wednesday's meeting.
The Student Senate will vote next week on a bill calling for amendments to the Senate bylaws. Under the proposed amendments, the COO position would be eliminated and some of the position's responsibilities transferred to the vice president, currently David Bedard.
A bill was proposed last year seeking to dissolve the post. Following a lengthy debate, the senate voted at that session to refer the bill to the Bylaws Committee, according to a Cigar article dated April 10, 2008.
The current bill is the result of that committee's efforts.
According to the text of the new bill, "The office of the Chief Operations Officer has not been utilized to any degree of effectiveness for its entire period of existence," and "duplicates either on paper or in practice the duties of many other offices."
As such, the bill states that the COO position is an unnecessary drain on senate finances. The office brings with it a total yearly stipend of $2,000.
The COO serves as a voting member of the Executive Committee, acts as liaison between the Senate and the Senate President and has the power to appoint or remove members of senate committees except chairpersons and members of the Executive or Rules and Ethics Committees, according to the Senate bylaws.
Other duties of the COO include maintaining a degree of oversight over senate committees, and organizing senate orientation, recruitment and social events with the help of the vice president.
If the bill passes, current COO Josh Feinberg will continue to serve out his term, but the position will not be filled again next year, said Chairman of the Bylaws Committee Allen Petit.
Senate president Tom Ahrens, who opposed the original bill to cut the post, said after the meeting he did not wish to comment on the issue.
The Student Senate will vote next week on a bill calling for amendments to the Senate bylaws. Under the proposed amendments, the COO position would be eliminated and some of the position's responsibilities transferred to the vice president, currently David Bedard.
A bill was proposed last year seeking to dissolve the post. Following a lengthy debate, the senate voted at that session to refer the bill to the Bylaws Committee, according to a Cigar article dated April 10, 2008.
The current bill is the result of that committee's efforts.
According to the text of the new bill, "The office of the Chief Operations Officer has not been utilized to any degree of effectiveness for its entire period of existence," and "duplicates either on paper or in practice the duties of many other offices."
As such, the bill states that the COO position is an unnecessary drain on senate finances. The office brings with it a total yearly stipend of $2,000.
The COO serves as a voting member of the Executive Committee, acts as liaison between the Senate and the Senate President and has the power to appoint or remove members of senate committees except chairpersons and members of the Executive or Rules and Ethics Committees, according to the Senate bylaws.
Other duties of the COO include maintaining a degree of oversight over senate committees, and organizing senate orientation, recruitment and social events with the help of the vice president.
If the bill passes, current COO Josh Feinberg will continue to serve out his term, but the position will not be filled again next year, said Chairman of the Bylaws Committee Allen Petit.
Senate president Tom Ahrens, who opposed the original bill to cut the post, said after the meeting he did not wish to comment on the issue.
