Seven college governments ratified the new Boston University Student Union constitution before the May 2 deadline, placing the document’s fate in the administration’s hands.
Senior Tribune Nayan Ranchhod said two-thirds of college governments – or eight of the 11 – were originally needed to ratify it. But after an abstention from the School of Management, he said the document could be passed with only seven approvals.
The School of Hospitality Administration’s student government rejected the proposed constitution during a meeting Wednesday night. Both of the school’s senators also voted against the document when it passed during last Monday’s marathon Senate session.
The College of General Studies and the School of Engineering did not submit a response.
Now that the governments have ratified the new document, the Student Activities Office and the Dean of Students Office will have to give final approval before the new constitution can go into effect.
Former Union president Ethan Clay said he was surprised the administration will make the final decision on the document, and he said he hoped they would take students’ opinions into consideration.
“I hope that the administration realizes the importance of the student voice,” he said. “We were not creating a proposal. We were drafting our charter, and I think there’s two different issues here.”
Clay said he was also concerned administrators did not offer suggestions regarding the document before it passed the Senate.
“I hope that the administration realizes that this is a student issue,” he said. “Any concerns should have been brought to us much earlier whenever I asked them for them.”
Union president Carl Woog said he hoped administrators would take the document into serious consideration.
“This is not a proposal; this is what the students have decided,” he said. “If the administration disagrees with us, they’re denying … a democratic approach.”
The College of Arts and Sciences, College of Communication, College of Fine Arts, Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Services, School of Education, Local Students Union and University Professors Program passed the document before the midnight deadline early Friday morning.
The proposed constitution passed the Union Senate in the early morning hours of April 29 by a vote of 21 to eight, with one abstention.
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