The student government elected a new Diversity Committee Chair after opening up the position to any person interested during a meeting on Wednesday.

The Associated Students of Madison selected a new Diversity Committee Chair to replace former chair Mart?n Uraga.

The student council held an informal election during the meeting in which any person who was interested in assuming the position of Diversity Committee Chair could announce their candidacy during open forum.

The student council nominated seven candidates initially and then reduced the number down to two candidates.

The candidates chosen were University of Wisconsin graduate student Tangela Roberts, who had no prior involvement in ASM, and Jasmine Savoy, a student council representative.

Shared Governance Chair Kyle VandenLangenberg said he was concerned about how qualified the nominees were in terms of leadership and professional managerial roles.

Representative Savoy outlined the plan she would implement if she were to be selected that would involve surveying UW students and asking them what they feel diversity means and how they would like to see it represented on campus. 

Representative Jason Smathers said since the entire debate of the position is centered on the concept of diversity, he favored Roberts because he believed she would bring a fresh perspective.

“I think it’s about time we voted in an outsider,” said Smathers, who is the former editor-in-chief of The Badger Herald.   

Ultimately, the council elected Roberts to be the new Diversity Committee Chair.

Chair Brandon Williams said Uraga resigned from the position last week.

Williams said Uraga’s resignation was his own, but it was a mutual decision between ASM and Uraga for him to step down, and they had engaged in discussions about it and the effectiveness of Diversity Committee last semester.

The council also debated a possible removal of a bylaw that states student council representatives can only serve a maximum of a two-year term.

University Affairs Chair Fergus said the removal would mainly aid freshman council members as well as graduate student council members.

The bylaw change would amend the two-year term limit restriction for freshman students on council and allow them to continue to serve beyond their sophomore year if they are elected, Fergus said.

Students who had already served on council for two years as an undergraduate would be able to run for council again as graduate students, Fergus said.

“It would really be in favor of freshman council members looking to continue their involvement with ASM,” Fergus said. “Their upward mobility wouldn’t be stuck in motion at the end of their sophomore year.”

He added the two-year term limit would still apply to all other students.

VandenLangenberg said he was opposed to the change and wanted to know why the bylaw was in question now when it had never been amended in the past.

“I think you should feel the waters and come back next week with some sort of anecdotal evidence about how many current council members feel they will be negatively affected by this change”, VandenLangenberg said.

The council decided to delay further discussion the two-year term limit amendment until next week’s meeting.