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Opinion | ASG, MAP election process change negates student rights

Editorial Board

Associated Student Government (ASG) and the newly created Miami Activities and Programming (MAP) are taking a new direction in electing two very important positions within both organizations.

In previous years, the student body elected the vice president of student organizations.

This may no longer be the case.

MAP has also made the decision to not have its president elected by the student body, but instead be elected internally by the organization's members.

The vice president for student organizations is a position in ASG that is extremely crucial.

The VP handles a $1.1 million dollar budget and is in charge of funding for all student organization.

MAP was the result of a merger between the Campus Activities Council (CAC) and Miami Entertainment and controls $300,000.

While The Miami Student editorial board understands MAP and ASG want the most qualified person possible in the respective positions, we fear eliminating elections for these positions is not the proper way to do this.

The editorial board believes that though these changes may have good intentions, they are actually taking away a process that was important to many students.

Students can be disconnected from student government, which is an understandable reason for why ASG wants an internal election for VP of student organizations.

However, student organizations are something with which almost every student is connected.

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How organizations spend their money is obviously a critical element, and we, as students no longer have a say in who oversees and controls the process.

Both organizations have ample knowledge in understanding what works and what doesn't.

They also know who may be the best person for the job.

However, the student body should still get a say in who controls and allocates our money.

Both organizations could endorse candidates who they know have the correct qualifications for the position and then let the student body vote for those candidates.

We believe in ASG and MAP and trust that they will fulfill the expectations of the student body in coming years.

But our expectations to be able to vote for important positions in these organizations shouldn't be erased.

Trusting organizations to elect qualified candidates internally does not equal having the choice as students to vote and create change ourselves in these organizations.