The Student Association plans to change its structure to help attract new members and distribute responsibility throughout the assembly, said SA Vice President Travis Mason at its meeting Monday.

The restructuring process will include three major actions, including the addition of five seats each to other governing councils, including the Greek councils and the Resident Hall Association, five seats to the general student body and fewer college-specific seats. SA will also form standing committees, such as academic and student life, and revive the Student Organizational Council, composed of members from each recognized student organization.

The exact role of the SOC has not yet been determined, but participation by student organizations may be required as part of the funding eligibility process.

‘We’re trying to get organizations to be responsible and stronger,’ Mason said. ‘Not to say that they don’t do that now, but it’ll be a training body, not necessarily a body preventing you from getting funding.’

The restructuring will place more responsibility on each member so SA officers or elected chairs will not have to shoulder it all, Mason said.

The new structure will be enacted for the 49th session of the assembly next fall, Mason added.

In other SA news:

n Asst. Comptroller John Brenner submitted his letter of resignation to the assembly this weekend, and said the decision stemmed from his plans to go abroad next fall and some discontent with SA.

‘I’ve been frustrated because of a lack of positive things happening,’ Brenner said. ‘I haven’t seen much good things coming out of SA, and I didn’t feel I could change much in the last month I’m here.’

n The SU College of Law has dropped in rank from a second tier school to a third tier school in this year’s U.S. News and World Report, due to a misreport of its allocation of resources, said Board of Trustees student representative Kristal Harris to the assembly in her report of a meeting last Friday with SU’s Board of Trustees.

The change in rank does not reflect the program or quality of the school, she added.

n The board also discussed the peace officer debate involving firearms. Chancellor Kenneth A. Shaw said that he understands student concerns but the university needs to do what is necessary to protect the safety of the students, Harris said.

n The plans for OrangeSeeds, the freshman leadership program created by SA, has not made much progress since the Office of Greek Life and Experiential Learning claimed it had planned to launch a similar program.

SA does not plan to change the structure of the program and still hopes to launch it for the incoming freshman class, Mason said.

n SA members are compiling names and information of local hang-outs, restaurants, places to shop and any best-kept-secret places or tips about Syracuse for its Rough Guide to Syracuse to be published next fall. They will be accepting suggestions and tips from the student body soon, said assembly member Priya DeSouza.

Published on April 5, 2004 at 12:00 pm