The committee system will change from its current structure of finance and campus-wide affairs committees to incorporate a new system composed of rules, finance, legislative and campus outreach committees.
“Each [committee will be] smaller in size and tailored toward a certain project and certain end,” Senate Vice Chair Matt Bradbury said.
According to Bradbury, the change is intended to maximize the efficiency of the committees by increasing specialization and accountability.
“Each committee [currently] has too many people,” Bradbury said. “Because of that, there’s a lack of responsibility and accountability on each committee — only four or five people will know what to do with each bill and debate.”
The current committee system is composed of the Finance and Campus Affairs committees. According to Bradbury, councilmembers are divided between the two committees through an informal process. Each committee currently holds around 20 councilmembers and meets on Wednesday afternoons.
Under the new four-committee structure, an ad hoc committee will be created during Weeks 7 and 8 to assign councilmembers to each committee. Each committee will have nine to ten councilmembers. According to Bradbury, the “committee on committees” will be composed of the four newly elected executives: the A.S. president, vice president of finance and resources, vice president of external affairs, vice president of student organizations and the senate chair.
Bradbury said he proposed the four-committee system idea earlier this year and spoke with A.S. President Alyssa Wing about progressing the restructure.
“Right now people don’t see committees as having much importance,” Bradbury said. “We want the committees to have an integral role.”
In addition to this restructuring, A.S. Council passed changes at its May 2 meeting to the process of appointing associate vice presidents. According to Wing, each executive officer chairs the committee for the search for their respective AVPs. The executives create their committees by getting volunteers from council and randomizing the selection. The executives must now do this process with the A.S. Clerk in order to ensure neutrality and accountability, Wing said in an email.
