Indications were at the Student Senate meeting last week that two, possibly three members of the senate would resign for various reasons and not be members of the senate during the spring semester.
None of those who indicated they probably would resign have submitted letters of resignation to Senate President Bill Ferguson or Dean of Students Bill Hughes, and it will not definitely be known until after registration how many vacancies will need to be filled, but plans already are being made to fill them.
Ferguson said that he, as president, will submit a number of names of students whom he will recommend to fill the vacancies. This list will be submitted at the first Senate meeting of the new semester, and, if approved, the new members will take office at the following meeting.
Early indications are that two sophomore and one freshman office vacancies will need to be filled.
“Students who ran a pretty close race in the September Senate elections will receive top consideration for the positions,” Ferguson said, “but it will be up to the Senate to make the final decision on the new officers.”
Dean Hughes said, “The Senate is not bound to approve Bill’s recommendations, but it has been their custom in past situations to do so.”
“Approval of the past president’s recommendations always promotes a much closer working relationship between the Senate and the president,” Hughes continued.
Another election to fill the spots was not feasible, according to Ferguson, because it is against senate rules to have an election during dead week and it would not be practical to have an election next semester because of the student turnover from the fall semester.