Associated Students of Madison elections are right around the corner and this year, and more students might be given the chance to run in freshman elections.
Currently, ASM bylaws define a freshman student as someone who is new to the University of Wisconsin and has fewer than 24 credits.
This means students with more than 24 Advanced Placement credits are currently not allowed to run in Student Council elections. Last year, this left out 694 students, including current SSFC Chair Brandon Williams and future ASM member Austin Evans, according to ASM representative Erik Paulson.
Paulson proposed to his fellow representatives the idea of not just holding a freshman election, but rather have an incoming student election. He proposed the notion to the council at its Aug. 22 meeting and members voted to pass it.
“The problem is there is a disenfranchised sector of people that are not eligible to run, although they are first-year students,” ASM Vice Chair Tom Templeton said.
Templeton said he agreed there is a problem with leaving these students out, but the change is not able to go into effect until two consecutive meetings are held because redefining the term “freshman” is a change to ASM bylaws.
Paulson also suggested a more all-inclusive idea for who should be included in elections, noting transfer students and first-year graduate students are also left out of the process.
“Any argument you can make for allowing freshmen to participate in a fall election also applies to a transfer student — including that we need their perspective on the council,” Paulson said in his appeal to the council.
Templeton said he thought Paulson’s idea warrants “looking into,” and ASM members will continue discussion and conversation on the matter.
After a long debate, the motion was approved 12-0-2 to redefine the term “freshman” to include all first-year students, no matter how many credits they may have earned in high school.
The representatives that abstained felt more discussion on the matter was needed as they did not want to change a bylaw without being properly informed first.
Along with discussing changes to bylaws, Templeton was appointed to the Shared Governance Committee to oversee the implementation of the Madison Initiative for Undergraduates during the meeting.
The committee is headed by Provost Paul DeLuca Jr. and is made up of three students as well as members of the faculty.
Templeton will represent the entire student body, along with the other members, on advising Chancellor Biddy Martin on the Madison Initiative for Undergraduates. He said he invites input from all students.
He added he is not on the committee to represent ASM and that he was elected on his own merit, but since he is the vice chair of ASM, he dually represents students.
“It’s one of those things where I am wearing multiple hats,” Templeton said.
ASM is set to meet today and will vote for the second time to change the meaning of “freshman” in the bylaws.
