After experiencing several systemic issues last semester, the University of Wisconsin student government is awaiting approval of a new constitution in the October elections they hope will build a more sound and receptive organization by next spring.
According to Jeff Wright, Associated Students of Madison Constitutional Committee chair, 10 appointees of the constitutional committee have worked vigorously this summer to create a document he hopes will generate direct accountability and a more effective structure.
“If we turn the clock back and think about how we got to this place, it really was because we felt the organization was not as accountable as it should be,” Wright said. “[ASM] was not actively supporting students’ needs. This constitution is about creating a structure so we can better do that.”
According to ASM Chair Brittany Wiegand, a strategic plan scheduled to be completed by late September will create clear delegation of duties, more specific legislation, greater voter turnout, increased member retention and will develop a more effective means to reach students.
Wiegand added the approval of the new constitution and the implementation of the strategic plan will aid ASM in achieving better organization and more respect on campus, but she admits student receptiveness could be an issue.
“I am looking forward to getting student input, and I hope we are able to get [it]. We have been putting a lot of work into [the constitution],” Wiegand said. “I think the committee feels confident. But, I think it will be a challenge to get students engaged. We are trying to reach out to students and do more on our end.”
As scheduled, the constitution will appear on the ballot in the October elections, and in order to take effect, the student body must express a majority vote, Wright said.
Adam Sheka, Shared Governance Committee chair, said the implementation of a new constitution would refocus ASM and move it in the right direction.
“Honestly, at this point I do not have very many concerns, and that is because I like the direction we are going as an organization,” Sheka said. “The Constitutional Committee is making sure we are an organization that students want us to be.”
The Constitutional Committee will actively solicit feedback and input from ASM members and students throughout September and October by holding numerous listening sessions, Wright added.
Wright voiced minor concerns regarding the new constitution, citing revisions as the main issue that could hinder the approval of the document in the fall elections.
“If students do not like the product, it is our responsibility to go back and make the necessary revisions depending on the patterns of the feedback that we get,” Wright said. “If some of the criticisms are isolated, I do not think we will pay as much attention to those as the feedback that we receive over and over again.”
ASM will welcome an External Affairs Committee this fall, which will provide a forum for ASM to work through past accountability issues with the United Council of UW Students and the United States Student Association.
