by Bridget M. Rohrer
Staff Writer
The Associated Students Federation Forum (ASF) will conduct an upcoming election regarding revisions to the organization’s constitution and bylaws.
This is the first step the Forum has taken in its attempt to fill the vacant presidential position. Elections will take place Monday, Sept. 26, and Tuesday, Sept. 27, in front of the University Seal.
In the changes to the constitution, ASF will no longer refer to the American Armenian International College (AAIC) as a separate entity. Instead, it will be included with the University of La Verne. There will be two official New Student Representatives, as opposed to one as it was in the past, and any measures requiring student body approval must receive a two-thirds majority vote by the Forum before appearing on the ballot for the students.
The new constitution would state that all Forum members have a choice to either accept or deny the invitation to participate in the Leadership Education and Development (LEAD) program. Currently, all Forum members participate in LEAD activities and receive LEAD scholarships.
Last year during the election for the new Forum officers, there was controversy in electing a president. A majority of the votes cast were not for the one candidate running. This resulted in starting off this school year with senior Rose Mangahis acting as President Pro-Tem. The revisions made were to prevent this from happening again.
In the past, those running for an ASF Forum position needed to have a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.75 on a 4.00 system, had to have junior or senior standing, and have served on the Forum at least one year.
”There was confusion in what the constitution defined as eligible forum members,” said Scott Mac Kay, ASF accountant, of the unrevised constitution and bylaws. “The bylaws contradicted each other in a couple of places so we had to clarify it.”
With the revisions, the constitution would state that only a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5 is needed and that candidates can hold an executive office their sophomore year, without having been a part of the ASF Forum.
“The GPA has been an issue that was brought up in the past but never acted upon,” said Mangahis. “All other LEAD positions have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5; therefore, this year’s Forum decided to make the requirements for all of their positions the same. This opens the Forum up to a number of new candidates. It is to the benefit of the students to have these revisions made,” she said.
There must be a two-thirds majority in the election to put the revisions into effect.
