The A.S. Council has begun the school year short three members, with no commissioner of athletics, commissioner of diversity affairs or vice president external.
Former Commissioner of Athletics Bryce Warwick left his post vacant after graduating last year, with the sole candidate running to replace him disqualified weeks before the election.
In addition, former Commissioner of Diversity Affairs Eiko Arseniak decided to transfer out of UCSD during the summer, leaving her position open as well. A.S. Vice President External Kevin Mann resigned from his position on Sept. 28, citing personal reasons.
The departure of Mann and Arseniak leaves A.S. President Christopher Sweeten as the only remaining candidate from last year’s election who ran on the Student Empowerment! slate. Sweeten, however, believes that he can still work with his current cabinent well.
“The election was the election and that’s past,” Sweeten said. “Now comes who will be working with each other for the betterment of the students on campus.”
Until the positions are filled, Sweeten is juggling three major positions, as he continues his duties as president and also fulfills responsibilities of commissioner of diversity affairs and atheltics.
“I am handling the three positions with a positive attitude,” Sweeten said. “My concerns are with the students and I want to make sure that the students who these positions serve are still being fulfilled.”
The vice president external position will be filled temporarily by Samantha Petersen, who worked as an administrative liaison for the external office.
Arseniak said that she hoped her old office would gain more recognition and funds in the council through the work of her successor.
“It’s definitely an important part of A.S.,” she said. “Hopefully A.S. will recognize it and give it more funding, making it a more active position.”
The commissioner of athletics’ office works with athletic departments, students and the A.S. Council to increase Triton pride and support for athletes, according to Warwick, who described his former position as the foundation for school enthusiasm.
“The office serves as a crucial liaison between the student athletes and the student government,” he said. “But on top of that, it’s a central place for spirit on campus and the driving force behind getting people to support our teams and grow pride in UCSD.”
The lack of applicants for the commissioner of athletics position is a possible expression of the lack of athletic pride at UCSD, Warwick said, something that Sweeten and others are seeking to change. The job’s responsibilities, however, are specialized, Warwick said.
“It takes a special kind of person to have the charisma to motivate and also the administrative skills to be able to run an office and work with day-to-day details,” he said. “Even the people who are excited about athletics are unable to make the big time commitment or handle things like balancing the budget.”
Meanwhile, Sweeten hopes to give the future commissioner of athletics a central role in A.S. affairs by prioritizing athletics and Triton pride.
While temporarily filling the position, Sweeten has attended freshman and transfer orientations and handed out UCSD Triton posters to celebrate school spirit.
“I have made the position seem more approachable this quarter by making the position part of the backbone of my agenda to establish a community and pride around Triton pride, and a lot of response has come forth from that,” he said. “So all and all, marketing has been the key.”
Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Joseph W. Watson is also seeking to increase emphasis of athletics on campus.
Last spring, Watson offered a proposal to the faculty Academic Senate that would give athletic scholarships of $500 to each UCSD athlete, new and continuing, provided they meet a minimum GPA requirement.
Watson developed the proposal in an attempt to comply with recently modified NCAA Division-II regulations that require universities to offer a minimum of $250,000 in athletic scholarships by this fall. UCSD has obtained a waiver from the requirement for the 2005-06 academic year, but Watson hopes that his proposal will meet approval by the senate, or that a joint committee of faculty, students and administrators will offer an alternative this year.
“The proposal for athletic grants-in-aid has been designed to complement the mission, philosophy and priorities of UCSD, including the co-curricular needs and interest of students and the campus community,” Watson said. “I believe there is interest in athletics among UCSD students. Most of the students I’ve spoken to express a strong wish for intercollegiate athletics to contribute to school spirit and excitement on campus.”
Warwick, who worked on the scholarship proposal last year, also said that an emphasis on athletics increases school pride, leading to larger donations from alumni.
“The more you love your school … the more you’ll give later,” he said. “Athletics does a lot to increase pride.”
A vote on the proposal was delayed until this fall, as some faculty members expressed concerns that the scholarships would take emphasis away from academics.
However, UCSD deserves an athletic image that mirrors the high academic standard on campus, Warwick said.
“A great academic and research institution can co-exist with a great athletic institution,” he said. “[The scholarship proposal] is not a huge measure that will drastically reshape the campus, but it’s definitely a start.”
The A.S. Council will fill the empty spots by conducting an open application process, which will continue until 4 p.m. Sept. 30, at which point applicants will participate in screening interviews with Sweeten and two A.S. senators, according to Sweeten. Currently, the response has been largely positive, Sweeten said, and he is pushing for approval of the two positions by the third week of this quarter.
