Duke Student Government will vote Wednesday on a proposal to completely reorganize the Senate’s structure.
The rules committee approved a final proposal for restructuring DSG Tuesday that will change the committee structure of the Senate. The proposal suggests the Senate eliminate five existing committees and convert to seven new committees: services; residential life; social culture; facilities and environment; diversity and equity; academic affairs; and Durham and regional affairs. If approved the restructuring will have an effect on upcoming elections.
Only the academic affairs committee and Durham and regional affairs remain intact—the proposal divides the former athletics, services and the environment committee as well as the former residential life and dining committee according to individual issues. The new services committee would incorporate dining, and athletics issues would be distributed across other committees as seen fit, said President Pete Schork, a senior.
“We want to create hubs in DSG that are distilled in the essence of the issues by having functions laid out along the lines of issues that we’re dealing with,” Schork said. “We could better integrate members from the cabinet and from the larger community with this structure.”
Schork and Executive Vice President Gurdane Bhutani, a junior, both resolved to re-examine the committee structure in their campaigns last year, Schork said.
Because the DSG constitution only allows for five vice presidents, the first election for executive board will elect the DSG President, executive vice president and five vice presidents for five of the new committees, Schork said. Students will also vote on a constitutional referendum on this ballot, allowing for an addition of two vice presidents. If this referendum is approved, candidates may run for the additional two vice president positions during the Senate election following the executive election, and then the new DSG structure will be in place by next year.
“The [proposed] committee purviews are sound, but I do have some reservations about the timeline in which we are restructuring,” said junior Alexandra Swain, vice president of Durham and regional affairs. “I do recognize that there are some flaws to this proposal and some flaws to the status quo.”
The proposal aims to increase efficiency and provide a clearer outlet for the student voice. With the proposed committee divisions, students would be able to run for a committee concentrated on their area of interest, attracting candidates with more expertise, Schork said. Students might also more readily understand where to appeal their concerns and suggestions with the more explicit committees.
But there is internal division over the proposal, though many in the Senate supports it outright, Schork said.
Senior Ebonie Simpson, vice president of student life, said she opposes the changes, especially those related to her committee.
“Currently, I deal with many things that some argue aren’t completely connected, but I have focused not only on service-oriented things but also diversity and equity issues,” Simpson said. “[The student life committee] has always done that.”
Some members of DSG said they were under the impression that they would see multiple proposals, but the rules committee agreed on a single proposal for presentation Wednesday.
“Our current structure is reverting our efforts and energies,” Schork said. “We want to increase our impact on what we can do through the student body.”
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