In its final meeting of the year, Bowdoin Student Government (BSG) passed an amendment that would affirm its role in the selection process of the Judicial Board (J-Board).
While BSG still needs to work with the J-Board to codify the process, the amendment would appoint one BSG member as a full member of the J-Board's Selection Committee. That member would have voting privileges.
Class of 2007 Representative Emily Hubbard and Vice President of Student Organizations Stephanie Witkin '07 explained that there is currently a discrepancy regarding BSG's role in J-Board member selection.
The BSG constitution states that BSG votes to approve all the nominees for the J-Board and is able to dismiss any member for "adequate cause" with a two-thirds majority vote. However, the student handbook's "Judicial Authority" section says that the J-Board alone can select new members, and that the student government president can only observe the process.
Recently, BSG and the J-Board have talked to try to sort out the discrepancies beween the two texts.
"One of their biggest issues was a non-J-Board member being a member and voting, not understanding the process," Witkin said. "But we felt that having an outside opinion would bring a really great new perspective that could be very productive for their selection process."
The amendment would first have the J-Board present an annual report to BSG and outline their selection process. Then, the names of J-Board applicants would be submitted to BSG in an executive session, in which the J-Board chair and adviser could participate.
One appointed member of BSG would become a full member of the Selection Committee with voting privileges, and would then present the newly selected members of the J-Board to BSG.
While BSG President DeRay Mckesson '07 is under the impression that the J-Board would prefer to have no voting members elected from BSG, he said that someone from BSG should be involved in a substantive way.
Vice President of Student Affairs Dustin Brooks '08 said that this amendment might encourage progress for the J-Board.
"I think if we were to work on this and pass it, we might be progressive in a way that would cause the process to continue more smoothly," he said. "If we pass this, it's taken care of, and while we're not sure what they're doing on their end, this might help," he said.
As for BSG's role in dismissal of J-Board members, any potential changes will be addressed in the fall semester.
Although some BSG members maintained reservations about voting on an amendment without a J-Board voice present at the meeting, the amendment passed and will go to a school-wide referendum next.
In other business, BSG welcomed its new officer team for the 2007-2008 academic year. The new members are: President Dustin Brooks '08, VP for BSG Affairs Kata Solow '10, VP for Student Affairs Tony Thrower '09, VP for Academic Affairs Sam Dinning '09, VP for Student Organizations William Donahoe '08, VP for Facilities Mike Dooley '10, and Treasurer Nicole Willey '08.