After nearly a year of acrimonious deliberation over whether to issue a vote of No Confidence in Superintendent/President Dr. Raj K. Chopra and the governing board, Southwestern College's student government has decided to do nothing. ASO senators instead opted for a resolution of campus unification.
On student government election day, the Associated Student Organization had its biggest debate this term. The executive board unanimously decided to present the governing board with what Executive Vice President Gilbert Songalia called a "proactive paper."
Soon after the paper had been polished, the executive members presented the resolution to the senators just two weeks before the end of the semester. It passed 11-4-1, but not without even more debate.
"I think it's too late," said Nick Serrano, senator at large. "We're in the middle of an election and for us to take a stance at the end of the semester, it's too late, this should have been left up to the next executive board."
Though some senators agreed with Serrano, Vice President of Club Affairs Derrick Dudley said he felt the action needed to take place now.
"Accreditation affects us all, from when the reports came out and thereafter until it's fixed," he said. "This is saying to the campus, because they are going to be working on this throughout the summer, we need to stop bickering. The faculty and staff need to stop bickering and start communicating effectively. We need to go forth and do something about what's been put before us."
Songalia agreed and said the resolution was necessary because the ongoing banter between the faculty and administration had not yet been put to a stop.
"Here's the facts, if you go to the accreditation oversight committee they fight over nothing," said Songalia.
After being approved at the Senate meeting May 11, the ASO unanimously decided that Songalia would read the resolution aloud at the May 12 governing board meeting during public comment.
"Be it resolved, that the ASO proposes the unification of all entities on campus to provide the solutions necessary to allow for the highest level of education and growth for all SWC students," read Songalia.
Manny Lopez, chair of the Ways and Means Committee, said he was unhappy with the process.
"If this comes from the executive board, fine," said Lopez. "But I'm representing San Ysidro. Nobody was asked or surveyed over there and I do not make decisions for the students, I work for them."
Songalia disagreed.
"We spend a lot of time going out and learning things," he said. "We're more educated than the average student on our campus about the issues on campus, hence why we sit in the chairs that we sit in."
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