Students voted last week to repeal the ASASU constitution and the constitutional convention to construct a new form of student government begins today.
The constitutional convention will meet once a week until a new constitution is approved. In a statement to the convention, Mike Liburdi said that he hopes to have a proposal finished to appear on the runoff election ballot on March 25 and 26 so students can approve or reject it.
Liburdi, who was chosen as the president of the convention, said about 50 people so far are confirmed as members at the convention.
Every college has at least two and a maximum of five seats at the convention depending on how many students are enrolled. Two of the seats are reserved for the two senators of each college. If the college has less than 3,000 students enrolled, it gets one more seat. A college that has 3,001 to 6,000 students receives two more seats. And a college with 6,001 students or more will be allowed three more seats.
Liburdi worked with Sen. Paul Petersen and Executive Vice President Mark McKenna to complete a draft of proposals to be used as the framework for the next constitution.
"I want to basically see a re-organization as to where we can use the money more effectively," McKenna said. He also said one proposal is to move the departments of campus affairs and activities to the office of the president. The position would still be there, just not as a vice presidential position, in order to create more accountability.
Petersen supports the idea of not having independently elected vice presidents so people who want experience with ASASU could be directors. He's also unsure as to what role graduate students would play at the convention.
"Graduate students have a dilemma," he said. "They want more representation but have far different needs from undergraduate students."
Peterson said another proposal would allow 15 percent of the ASASU budget to go to college counsels.
Political science junior Meghan Cox has been selected to be a member of the convention and said she would like to see more funding go to college counsels because they are the supports of ASASU.
"I'm definitely looking forward to hearing what other delegates have to say," she said.
The convention is open to the public and the first meeting is in Armstrong Hall, Room 105 at 6 p.m.
Reach the reporter at stinavee@asu.edu.
