When former Student Union Treasurer Caroline Cahill resigned her post in February citing health issues, she left a void in the Union’s core.
Now, Union Executive Board members are in the process of nominating a new finance manager.
The individual who assumes this position will potentially have more responsibility than any past Union treasurer. If the Allocations Board permits it, the treasurer will become a voting member in the AB. Even if the AB doesn’t hand this person a ballot, the treasurer will still sit in on the group’s meetings.
It will require a certain type of person to successfully balance membership in the Union and AB. The two groups are interconnected, but the Union treasurer would have to keep some of what the AB discusses private. This requires a loyal and trustworthy individual.
But even though the treasurer can’t bring some AB information to the Union’s table, the Union position must be careful not to become a pawn for the Board.
The elected representative must not be afraid to relay the Union’s beliefs to the AB. When doing so, the treasurer needs to be firm and ensure the other 14 members will not only understand the Union’s position, but strongly think about acting on them.
At the same time, the person who gets this job must understand the importance of objectivity. The individual can’t stand by biases favoring the Union; the treasurer must consider the AB’s views equally.
The voting members of the General Assembly need to keep these qualities in mind when electing a new treasurer. The voters must also be sure to question any candidate the E-Board presents.
When former Union Secretary Ricky Junquera resigned, leaders needed to fill a similar gap. Former Union President Jon Marker nominated Megan Castellano, but she did not receive the simple majority required to become secretary when the GA voted. Members said they denied Castellano because she was not familiar with the Union, and her nomination came too quickly after Junquera’s resignation — not leaving ample time for others to apply for the position.
Voters must be just as critical when choosing the new treasurer. If the AB’s restructuring proposal passes, then the position could possibly represent the only part of the student body that voices concerns as to how funding should be distributed to Boston University’s student organizations.
If the right person gets the job and the treasurer has an amiable working relationship with the AB, it could lead to an increased number of elected AB voting members in the future — and that seems to be what the majority of students are calling for.