Updated Student Code to be posted online today

An outdated version of the Student Code, UNC’s primary document governing student affairs, has been posted online for several months.

But that should change today.

Speaker of Student Congress Zach De La Rosa said the most updated version of the Student Code will be posted on the Student Congress website today.

Student Congress voted in March to strip the student body secretary of the responsibility of updating the Student Code and give it to the clerk of the body.

But the last session of Student Congress before summer adjourned without appointing a clerk, leaving a gap in the administration system.

“I agree that it needs to be updated as soon as possible, and I would have updated it myself, but I don’t want the person who writes the rules to be amending the Student Code,” De La Rosa said.

“It’s important to have a neutral third party,” he said. “All parties are aware of the situation and we are working as fast as we can.”

The transfer of responsibilities was made after some members said then-Student Body Secretary Ian Lee had failed to update the Code in a timely manner.

To fill the clerk position, De La Rosa appointed Elizabeth Merritt and Connor Brady this fall to serve as clerks.

De La Rosa said the new clerks have been working to get the updated document online.

While alterations to the Code did not include policy changes that apply to student organizations, Brady said Student Congress plans to start updating the Code in an open-source format so that when changes occur, students will know immediately.

“We want to be as open as possible so students always know what is going on,” De La Rosa said.

Adam Jutha, student body secretary, said delays in updating the Code were expected because of the new system.

“It’s unfortunate that it wasn’t updated, but it gives us the opportunity as an entire Student Congress to move forward from here.”

To prevent future delays, De La Rosa said he will propose a bill that requires the speaker of Student Congress to appoint clerks at the end of each school year.

Brady said a new version of the Student Code will be sent to Student Congress for the first session every month for the rest of the year, with a final update sent to the secretary at the end of the year for archiving.

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