Meeting #9 — Oct. 20, 2004

Items of Immediate Consideration

Item E

The A.S. Council unanimously passed a resolution calling on the administration to resume negotiations with the council, the Graduate Student Association and the co-ops.The council also called upon the administration to withdraw its threats of termination of the contract governing the co-ops, to provide negotiators who are able to make binding agreements on behalf of the council and to enforce any agreements that they make.

Reports

Vice President External Rigo Marquez

Marquez informed the council that the voter registration portion of UCSD Rocks the Vote has come to an end. The program yielded between 2,500 and 3,000 new student voters. With the first phase completed, the program will now focus on educating voters about the issues that will appear on the ballot.

Vice President Internal Cat Yapyuco

Yapyuco reported that there are more campuswide committees that are looking for student representatives. Applications for the available positions can be found at the main desk on the third floor of Price Center and will be accepted until all the positions have been filled.

Council Caucus

The council discussed upcoming legislation that would convert the A.S. commissioners from elected positions to appointed ones. The legislation, which was withdrawn from the agenda for the meeting on Oct. 20, met opposition in the caucus. Twenty-three members of the council felt that changing the method of choosing commissioners would limit the voice of the students and said that they would prefer that commissioners remain elected officials. The issue has not been resolved, with 25 members of the council expressing support for a referendum in which students would choose the method of selecting commissioners.

Old Business

Items C and D

The council allocated approximately $2,000 for the UCSD Rocks the Vote Coalition. The money will go toward the printing of voter guides to educate students for the Nov. 2 election. Discussion on the council floor revolved around the amount of information that will be included in the guides. Proposals included providing only statements from candidates for local offices, including the statements and information on selected propositions, or providing the statements and information on all propositions.

New Business

In the upcoming week, the council will address legislation regarding the A.S. bylaws. Revisions to the bylaws include amendments clarifying limitations on campaigning in classrooms, which led to several complaints during the 2004 A.S. elections, and the inclusion of instant runoff voting in the election bylaws. The council will also discuss removing the time limit on the public input section of the council meetings.

Compiled by Patrick Allen

Senior Staff Writer