LETTER: AB’s choice for vice chairman needs reconsideration

I was very disappointed to read about the Allocation Board’s decision to keep vice chairman Soren Hessler in his current executive board position despite his inability to attend any of the weekly AB meetings (“AB leaders debate vice chairman post,” Sept. 25, p.1). There are several reasons why this is unacceptable to me, and why all active students on campus should be disturbed, as well.

Firstly, the AB serves a vital role on campus, with the huge responsibility of distributing a portion of the Undergraduate Student Fee to student organizations for programming. I can’t help but think that the AB’s ability to fulfill these duties may be compromised when one of its five executive board members can no longer contribute on a weekly basis.

Secondly, I am bothered by the fact that the AB appears to have neglected to consult its own bylaws before making this decision. I’m no expert, but a quick look on the AB website shows several clauses that seem to contradict its actions. The simplest one is in Article 3, which states, “all members are responsible for attending weekly Allocations Board meetings.” Chairwoman Jennifer Quigley maintained that the bylaws provide for absence due to a university course at the same time as the weekly meetings, but my research shows otherwise. It appears that it is only appropriate for AB members to miss allocations meetings, which occur a minimum of once per funding period. Weekly meetings are required for all members.

It gets a little stickier further down in Article 3, where the bylaws state that “if an Executive Board member takes a leave of absence from the Allocations Board, his or her leave of absence shall be regarded as a resignation from the Executive Board.” Hessler took a leave of absence from his position, prompting AB ombudsman Tyler Ramaker to serve as interim vice chairman. According to the bylaws, this act of Hessler’s was tantamount to a resignation. Therefore, I see no reason why he continues to serve as vice chairman.

I understand that when groups have been together for a long time, they tend to favor each other over seeking new members. Being engaged to the AB chairwoman can effect judgment on behalf of leadership, as well. However, I think that in a group like the AB, with such a significant responsibility to their fellow students, behavior like this is a disservice to the BU community. I recommend that the AB revises its decision and begin the search for a suitable replacement. I have no doubt that with such a large and diverse campus, a person can be found to rival or surpass Mr. Hessler’s skills as vice chairman.

Melanie Baxter

CAS ’09