A bill presented by Spencer Lee and co-sponsored by Ben Croshaw regarding the ASUSU Information Desk is being considered by the Executive Council of the Associated Students of Utah State University (ASUSU). The bill seeks to establish the use and scheduling of the desk, limits it to members and organizations of ASUSU and requires elected officers to spend time at the booth interacting with the student body.

“(It will) make it the ASUSU info booth, which it is,” said Lee, ASUSU executive vice president, at Tuesday’s Executive Council meeting.

Current legislation requires officers to spend one hour per day at the information desk, located on the first floor of the Taggart Student Center, something that Lee said is “neither followed nor understood.” The bill would call for members of the Executive Council and Academic Senate to spend one hour per week at the desk. Originally, officers were to spend two hours at the booth but Vice President of Graduate Studies Rick Kelly voiced concerns of excessive overlap between the members of ASUSU and the hours were reduced. Lee did say that some overlap is expected and helps fulfill the bill’s goal of stimulating student interaction with elected representatives.

“If one person is there, nobody stops. If two people are there, many people stop,” Lee said.

Lee included in the bill that failure to complete the required hours would result in a stipend reduction, which will be considered by the committee on a case-by-case basis. Many members of the council suggested that exceptions be allowed during activity weeks, in which they are involved in planning purposes, and during finals. Such exceptions will be included in the final consideration of the bill. Excluding weeks that qualify as exceptions, Lee said governmental officers should be present instead of members of their committees.

“I am really adamant about the actual officer being there,” Lee said.

Many officers agreed that their presence would be more effective than that of their constituents.

“I think there is a real power in having the elected officials at the booth,” Athletics Vice President Jeremy Winn said.

Lee and many of the officers stressed the importance of regulating student use of the information desk, where the space is often inundated with pamphlets and fliers.

“We can’t open it up to the 200-plus clubs on campus,” Lee said.

Campus Diversity Vice President Krista Bustamante said, “Technically that space is reserved for us.”

In the bill, the ASUSU administrative assistant would be responsible for overseeing the coordination of the booth as well as holding officers accountable for their required hours. The bill unanimously gained preliminary approval in the council meeting and will include clauses to address concerns of council members before a final vote occurs. The bill will also pass before the Academic Senate for approval and if adopted by ASUSU will take effect Jan. 1. Currently, the bill does not include the Graduate Student Senate (GSS), but GSS President Rick Kelly said he would put it before the senate in its meeting to possibly include the GSS member’s participation in the bill. If included, the bill will require approval by the GSS before ratification.

Also during the meeting, ASUSU President Tyler Tolsen spoke with members of the Executive Council about the proposed merger of the College of Eastern Utah (CEU) and USU. Being a pre-existing institution, CEU has, and will preserve, its own student government. This will allow CEU to preserve some degree of separation from USU, and CEU’s student government’s involvement with the ASUSU has yet to be determined. Tolsen said many options are being considered by USU administration, such as monthly phone conferences, but he also asked members of the council for their opinions on a CEU representative being incorporated into the Executive Council of ASUSU. Most people present did not feel that a standing seat at all meetings for CEU would be appropriate.

“Why do they get that privilege when other (regional) campuses don’t?” Student Advocate Tyler Haws asked the council.

Given that most council actions would not affect students at CEU, public relations Director Allie Anderson said, “If they’re trying to be separate I don’t know why they’d want to sit on our council.”

Tolsen said while no changes are currently being made, upcoming legislation on the subject of CEU representation is likely.

– b.c.wood@aggiemail.usu.edu