GREENVILLE — In a meeting marked with substantially less contention than in the past, the UNC-system Association of Student Governments approved several new structural reforms at its first official meeting of the year.
Student delegates from across the UNC system gathered at East Carolina University Friday and Saturday with the goal of revamping the association’s image. ASG’s April meeting sparked internal criticism from delegates after divisive debates about electing a new president and raising officer stipends.
The association, which is funded by an annual $1 student fee, has also faced criticism for inefficient use of funds and lack of effective student advocacy. But many attendees said the meeting demonstrated a move in the right direction.
“It was a great first step,” said Cameron Carswell, the association’s president, elected in April. “The dynamic of individuals and personalities fit very well together.”
UNC-Chapel Hill Student Body President Will Leimenstoll, who attended the meeting, said the meeting was well-orchestrated compared to previous years.
But the meeting was not without conflict. One delegate complained that only one of nine executive positions was granted to a historically black college and university — N.C. Agricultural & Technical University — while three positions were held by Appalachian State University, where Carswell is from.
Carswell said there were only 13 applications for the nine positions and added that the association would look into encouraging more applicants in the future.
Reforms passed at the meeting included reorganizing committees, requiring committee executives to submit monthly reports and creating a new chief of staff position to handle executive duties.
Delegates also voted not to support a proposal discussed by the Board of Governors that would institute a 25 percent cap on the amount of future tuition increases that could be devoted to need-based financial aid.
