SU passes amendment to merge SU VP of programming and SPB president roles

and | News Editors

Student Union Vice President of Programming junior Charlotte Pohl will serve as the new leader of Social Programming Board, effective Nov. 1, as a result of a constitutional amendment passed during the SU special election Sept. 17.

The amendment, which passed with 85 percent of the vote, will liquidate the position of SPB president and shift its duties under the purview of the VP of Programming. The proposal was driven by a request to make SPB president an elected position. Currently, the president is appointed by the previous SPB executive board, and must be confirmed by Senate and Treasury.

376 students voted, according to SU election commissioner Randal Walker, which equates to a voter participation rate of close to five percent. That figure mirrors the five percent turnout of the most recent special election in January concerning amendments to streamline the SU constitution and lower the signature threshold for block funding consideration.

Walker wishes that more students had voted and isn’t sure why the turnout was low.

“Personally, I really don’t know but it is the start of the school year,” Walker said.

The SPB executive board is composed of nine directors appointed by the SU executive board. Once the new language takes effect, each director will meet with the VP of Programming weekly.

Pohl did not respond to requests for comment.

In a statement to Student Life, current SPB president junior Adin Ehrlich wrote that the change would make SPB “more accountable” and more accessible to the student body.

“Hopefully through this, SPB can make SU Programming more cohesive and and be able to reach groups of students that SU and SPB have not been able to reach before,” Ehrlich wrote. “Now that this has passed, I am excited for what SPB will do once the new executive board begins.”

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