ASG student leaders will meet to discuss reform following UNC-CH’s vote to remain a member

After Tuesday’s elections results cemented the University’s place in the UNC Association of Student Governments, student leaders will meet this weekend to improve the group that has been consistently criticized.

The association’s efficiency has faced scrutiny from members of UNC-CH Student Congress, and a referendum placed on the run-off election allowed students to vote whether or not they wanted to remain a member of ASG.

In a 57.4 percent to 40.8 percent vote, students chose to maintain the University’s participation in the association.

The association is composed of student leaders and delegates from each of the UNC system’s 17 institutions, and is funded by an annual $1 student fee. It meets monthly at different campuses and will meet this weekend at N.C. Agricultural & Technical University and UNC-Greensboro.

The association took in $221,727 in total funds this year for student advocacy, officer stipends and travel costs. The association has been criticized for being inefficient in its use of student fees.

ASG President Atul Bhula created a task force — chaired by UNC-CH Student Body President Mary Cooper — to examine and rework the group’s inner structure and effectiveness.

Cooper said the task force, which had its first meeting last month, will reconvene after Saturday’s meeting.

Zach De La Rosa, speaker of UNC-CH Student Congress and a vocal critic of ASG, said he will set up a bipartisan committee tentatively composed of nine members, following the results of the referendum.

He said the members will differ in their opinions about the association but will collectively form recommendations to present to Bhula.

“I think in the end, everyone wants an effective and efficient organization, so let’s see what we can make,” De La Rosa said.

On Saturday, the association will review reforms that came from the task force’s initial recommendations, which include an internal restructuring of the committee system and a reduction in the total number of delegates that attend each meeting.

Bhula said the association will also consider amending its constitution to allow student body presidents and vice presidents to be executive officers.

“You’re excluding some of the people that might be the most qualified for those positions.”

He said the council of student body presidents will also discuss the issue of need-based financial aid to prepare for when the topic comes before the UNC-system Board of Governors in April.

“The Board of Governors are going to bring it up with or without students, and I want to bring the student voice into it,” Bhula said.

UNC-CH Student Body President-elect Will Leimenstoll, who supported the University’s participation in ASG, will be shadowing Cooper this weekend for his first association meeting.

Cooper said she will work with Leimenstoll to prepare him for taking an active role in ASG.

“The biggest piece of advice I would give him is to really get to know everyone in it and really reach out to students on campus to get their suggestions,” she said.

Leimenstoll said he doesn’t know what to expect, but he’s excited to share his input about reforming the association.

“My overall impression is that (ASG) is an organization that has a lot of potential,” he said.

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