GUSA President to Dissolve Unity Commission
Just over a year after its inception, GUSA’s Student Commission for Unity is on the verge of dissolution.
The senate voted Wednesday night to consider a bill reauthorizing the commission, but Student Association President Pat Dowd (SFS ’09) said he plans to veto the bill.
“I’m not going to approve any bill that approves a commission without a senator as chair,” Dowd said.
The commission was founded by former senator Brian Kesten (COL ’10), who would serve as its first chair, last October after controversy surrounded what was considered as THE HOYA’s minimal coverage of a rally for the Jena Six and two alleged hate crimes against Georgetown students. The SCU aimed to work with several groups on campus to conduct a survey of issues of diversity on campus and ultimately produce a report of its findings.
Kesten said he was disappointed by Dowd’s decision and hopes that the SCU will be able to continue its work.
"Essentially, whether I like it or not, I’m the face of this project,” he said. “Regardless of what happens with GUSA, the show must go on.”
With 11 board members and five research teams, Kesten said the SCU is 90 percent done with the project.
“[We’ve put in] hundreds, if not thousands, of hours of work so far,” he said. “We don’t want to do anything to damage our ability to advocate on campus.”
Kesten emphasized his concerns about the effects of separating the SCU from GUSA.
"That would definitely diminish our ability to make change,” he said.
On Wednesday, the senate first considered amending a section of its bylaws which stated that it could only name a non-senator to chair a commission when it was created. Under the new bylaws, the senate can name a non-senator as a chair of a commission when it is re-authorized, even if a senator chaired it when it was created.
Dowd and GUSA Vice President James Kelly (COL ’09) encouraged the senators not to pass the bill, and although the senate voted 12 to 4 to pass the bill with eight abstentions, it was one vote short of the required majority.
The next bill, introduced by Senate Speaker Reggie Greer (COL ’09) and co-sponsored by Vice Speaker Brian Wood (COL ’09), reauthorized the Student Commission for Unity and named Kesten, who lost his senate re-election bid this year, as chair.
The senate debated the bill extensively, with some senators suggesting that the line naming Kesten as chair be stricken from the bill. First, though, the bill was tabled until the issues surrounding the bylaw change were resolved.
As the meeting continued past 10 p.m., a few senators who had originally abstained from voting on the bylaw change left the meeting. After a second vote, the original 12 votes in favor constituted a majority, and the bylaw change was approved, allowing the senate to move on to debate the reauthorization of the SCU.
Dowd and Kelly again encouraged senators to vote against the bill, objecting to the provision naming Kesten, a non-senator, as chair of a senate commission. Ultimately, the senate voted by a small margin to reauthorize the commission with Kesten as chair.
But Dowd announced Wednesday night that he intends to veto the bill.
“I think what is going to end up happening is a line-item veto,” Dowd said. “The SCU is definitely one of the most important things GUSA has done, but I really don’t think there should be a non-senator chairing that commission.”
Citing issues of accountability, Dowd emphasized the importance of having senate commissions chaired by senators.
“I hope Brian Kesten will still be involved, but the SCU has taken on an independent quality, which I find disconcerting.”
Dowd said he was confident the senate would introduce a new bill without Kesten as chair as soon as next week.
“It’s just one week,” he said, “and there will be essentially the same bill with a senator as chair.”
Dowd made GUSA history last week when he vetoed a bill creating six new student commissions, objecting to the creation of a Student Safety and Security Commission, making Dowd the first GUSA president to veto a bill since the establishment of the senate three years ago. This will be Dowd’s second veto in two weeks.
If the senate does not introduce the new bill without Kesten as chair, Dowd said the commission will not be reauthorized.
As of late last night, Dowd said that he has not yet received the bill from the senate, and so has not yet been able to formally veto it.
He did, however, acknowledge the possibility that the senate could override his veto.
“If two-thirds of the senators want to abdicate their responsibility, they can do that,” he said.
- Hoya Staff Writer Brian Burke contributed to this report.
Oct 31 2008 at 2:08 p.m.
I am glad that someone taking a stand on this. What is the point of electing senators if they are going to hand away their responsibilities to non-elected students? The SCU has done impressive work over the past year, and it ought to be allowed to continued. It doesn't sound like the GUSA President is trying to "dissolve" the SCU. In fact, this article writes that he supports it. Sounds to me like he is just calling for more accountability, which is something that I believe many students want. Hopefully a new bill gets passed next week that reauthorizes the SCU with more oversight by our elected representatives in the Senate.
Oct 31 2008 at 2:56 p.m.
this just sounds personal between pat dowd and brian kesten. this is exactly why GUSA has been and will continue to be useless. they take themselves too seriously when really they have no "power" over n e thing ...this is pathetic
Oct 31 2008 at 3:06 p.m.
I have a question for people: Did Brian's election loss have much to do with his leadership of SCU? Almost every GUSA race is a popularity contest, so I wouldn't be surprised if that were the case in Brian's election. But Brian is one of the very few (if not only) GUSA senators who did something original, ambitious, newsworthy and perhaps controversial in the past year. I'd be curious to hear whether his election became a referendum on the SCU, or whether, as most GUSA elections are decided, he just lost to someone who got his name out better.
Oct 31 2008 at 3:07 p.m.
I completely disagree. The commission was Brian's vision, and while I'm sure the Senators would be qualified to run it, he is most familiar with it already. Considering the amount of work that was done in the past year, changing the leadership could only hurt the progress being made.
And while I don't think the accountability of a Coalition based on the intentions of unity needs to be worried about, if it's that big of a deal, why not just make Brian and a Senator co-chair?
In addition, a strong majority of the Senate voted to keep Brian as chair. Dowd using his veto would be an act of utter disrespect for the students who voted for those senators. And while the argument may follow that Dowd was elected also, the GUSA Presidential election last year was hardly the voice of the students with all the controversy and people voting alphabetically.
If the Senate wants Brian, and not one of their own, to chair the Commission, it should be allowed.
Oct 31 2008 at 3:12 p.m.
Ugh. GUSA's parliamentary nonsense is such a distraction.
When Babylon meets Alexandria the worthy will hear the Lyre and see with new eyes. The worthy shall sing with the Bard in the New City after a journey to an old farm.
Oct 31 2008 at 3:34 p.m.
The student senate should be allowed to appoint anyone they want to one of their commissions (which is different from a committee right?)... isn't that part of the whole separation of powers idea? If it's a senate commission, the senate creates it, the senate appoints its leader, the senate oversees/funds it and all that then you can't exactly say that they're abdicating their responsibility.
I am 100% sure that this is a personal vendetta between Kesten and Dowd, or between Kesten and Antwaun Sargent, Dowd's diversity director. It's gotta be. Or, it's Dowd trying to micromanage the senate.
Oct 31 2008 at 3:54 p.m.
Why is this such a big deal?
Here's why non-Senator-lead commissions aren't as scary as they sound:
(1) Commissions have no authority to introduce bills or legislation; they don't have a vote in the Senate
(2) All officers, including the chair, have to be appointed by the Senate
(3) Any recommendations or reports the Commission comes out with has to be approved by the Senate
Overall, GUSA gets to co-opt experienced people to tackle specific issues.
The GUSA President, by the way, has even broader power -- he can create a position (Secretary for Diversity), nominate someone (i.e. a non-senator), and he will have to be confirmed by the Senate. But then he can do whatever he wants, short of the Senate impeaching him. Any recommendation or policies he pursues do NOT have to be approved by the Senate, and any helpers the Secretary wants to include in his task, the Senate really can't approve them either.
Under the Senate's version, it's substantially similar - they create a commission (Commission on Diversity), elect a Chair (Senator or not), and then any officers of that commission (i.e. the major helpers), and THEN has power to reject any policies, reports or recommendations the Committee comes up with.
So frankly, I really don't see why Dowd is making a hissy fit.
Oct 31 2008 at 5:04 p.m.
That's a brilliant idea. Let's give SCUnity, a one-of-a-kind endeavor, away to someone who doesn't care and hasn't been involved in the project up to this point.
Forgetting the fact that this was Brian Kesten's brainchild and he has put as much blood, sweat, and tears into this project as is humanly possible, why does it make sense to instate a new chairperson 90% through the project simply because he lost an unrelated popularity contest? Considering the work Kesten has put in and the knowledge, experience, and passion he brings to this commission, removing him now and arbitrarily replacing him with a senator would not only be unfair and insulting to Kesten, but also detrimental to the project as a whole. He has chaired and overseen this project from its inception. Under his guidance, SCUnity has become the only program of its kind: doing research, analysis, and advocacy that has not been seen at a comparable scale at any other major university in the nation. And because Pat Dowd says so, he has to hand over the reigns, after a year of unprecedented effort and progress, to someone who is: less qualified to lead it, less familar with the pertinent issues and workings, and less invested in the project. Unbelievable.
As a member of SCUnity, I can personally attest to the necessity of Kesten's contributions to the commission. I've seen him devote so much of himself to this project that I can't ever envision SCUnity without him at its helm. And to see not only our hard work, but the greater ambition of a more integrated and accepting community, go down the drain because of some personal grudge is sickening.
On a completely unrelated note, can anyone explain to me exactly what GUSA Grassroots does?
Oct 31 2008 at 5:32 p.m.
WOW, 8 abstentions!!! Why don't these Senators get off the fence and cast a vote that matters? I really do not understand why our elected representatives are so willing to sit by and let someone who has repeatedly lost elections on this campus run the show for them. Aren't GUSA Senators supposed to be handling these issues?
President Dowd is doing the right thing by insisting on increased accountability and Senate oversight by vetoing this bill.
The last time that GUSA allowed non-elected students control over important functions was with the Student Activities Commission, which allocates funds to campus student groups. Now it's the case that students frequently complain about how SAC lacks accountability and often operates with impunity as it appoints its own leaders. SAC reform is another issue, for another day. For now, let's not let yet another GUSA organization go the way of SAC. The SCU ought to be chaired by a Senator to insure accountability. PERIOD.
Nov 01 2008 at 5:04 p.m.
Dear Frank who commented above--
Please don't drag our common good name into pointless debates about GUSA. The whole organization should be shut down, and no Frank should be permitted to even discuss it. It makes us all look bad.
Thank you.
Frank