ASUM cancels board meetings
Jan. 23, 2007
The board meetings for the Associated Students of the University of Missouri, the student lobbying group for the UM system, have been suspended.
MU executive board member Damon Ferlazzo said the suspension was revealed in an e-mail sent by Kandis Smith, assistant vice president for Academic and Student Affairs. In another e-mail, Smith said the decision was made during the fall semester, but the discussion of suspending the board had been going on for almost a year and a half.
"It was a joint decision made by the students and representatives from student affairs and me," Smith said.
According to ASUM's Web site, its mission is to advocate for students at the four UM campuses in St. Louis, Kansas City, Columbia and Rolla. This includes being an advocate for UM system students to state and federal governments. Students at MU pay a fee of $2.42 per semester for ASUM's operating costs.
ASUM Board of Directors Chairwoman Ashley Warren, who is also an MU student and engaged to Ferlazzo, said work continues at each branch of ASUM on the four campuses and with the interns at the ASUM office in Jefferson City.
The monthly board meeting with representatives from the four schools is the only thing that has been suspended. Warren said she supported the decision for suspension.
"I think it's understandable," she said.
Warren expressed optimism about ASUM's future but said discussion was needed to modify its procedures. ASUM was founded in 1975, and after 31 years, Warren said, ASUM needs to adapt because the universities and the state government have changed. The board's constitution was last rewritten in 2005.
The four ASUM chapters have planned a summit for Feb. 24 in Columbia to discuss how to improve the board's effectiveness and efficiency. The plan is for the summit to last from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Ferlazzo said the necessary changes for the board to resume activity would be passed in those five hours.
Ferlazzo said Smith sent out an e-mail informing members of the summit. He said he was optimistic that whoever would moderate the summit would do his or her job effectively.
"Hopefully the moderator will make sure that everybody gets heard and nobody dominates the conversation," he said. "I think we can get a lot done in five hours."
Warren said the summit would also assess the board's current effectiveness. Ferlazzo said he is optimistic about ASUM's future and the summit.
"I think the future of ASUM is good," he said. "I don't foresee it going away."
Smith said the goal of the summit was to produce a more effective board that is able to support the needs of students across the state.
Smith said her goals for the summit are "that it will design the board to be a more efficient and effective board supporting students on all four campuses and the internship programs."
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