MSA chairperson deadline extended
Academic affairs, operations and campus dining lack chairpersons.
Published Oct. 13, 2009
The original deadline for applications to three Missouri Students Association chairmanship positions passed Friday with such a limited number of submitted applications that Senate Speaker Amanda Shelton has extended the deadline to 5 p.m. Thursday.
The chairmanship positions became available within the last two weeks after the resignations of Academic Affairs Chairwoman Erica Zucco, a Maneater columnist, Operations Chairman Josh Travis and the creation of a new ad hoc campus dining issues committee.
This committee can be comprised of both MSA members and students not involved in MSA, but who are interested in campus dining issues.
"I've gotten four applications for operations chair, one for academic affairs and none so far for the campus dining issues ad hoc committee," Shelton said in an e-mail. "I will be extending the submission deadline as a result."
Zucco had several theories as to why her committee could be lacking in applications for a chairperson as opposed to the operations committee.
"Well, traditionally ops has always been a bigger committee than AA," Zucco said. "If you look at the numbers of people in the committees currently you can see this, plus we've just always been smaller. Since ops has a wider group of people, there's a greater number of people to pull from for applications."
She also said with the deadline extension, additional applications being submitted are a likely possibility.
"There are a few people who mentioned to me that they were going to apply so maybe with the deadline extension they may be more willing to step up and take that leadership role," Zucco said.
With no applications for the campus dining services committee submitted, interim Chairman Abhi Sivasailam has decided to run for the position on a permanent basis.
"Initially, I wanted to step back, lay the groundwork and then let the organization run from there," Sivasailam said. "With the lack of interest, I am going to run, and I know Sheela Lal is planning on it as well."
Sivasailam said when he initially polled the Senate to gauge interest in joining the committee, most of those interested had very little prior experience in MSA, which he said might inhibit them from applying for a leadership position.
"Most of the people that e-mailed me were in their first semester of MSA participation," Sivasailam said. "Other people interested in joining the committee already have other responsibilities or are chairs of their own committees."
Sivasailam will be speaking to the Residence Halls Association at the joint Senate meeting Wednesday and said he expects some RHA members might become interested in taking on the leadership position.
"We haven't really spoken to RHA in a great amount of detail yet and it's quite possible that there will be someone interested in running for the chair at our joint meeting on Wednesday when we meet with them," Sivasailam said. "We are going to look into that."
Shelton said the interviews with applicants would begin early this week, even as applications are still coming in.
"Successful applicants need a combination of experience, energy and innovation," Shelton said in e-mail. "In addition, I also personally look for individuals who work well with and encourage their colleagues through their sincerity, work ethic and positivity both within their committee and throughout Senate."