Nearly half of the student government senators have walked away from their positions since they were elected last spring.
In April PSU students elected 25 senators and 11 of them have resigned, including six since fall term began.
Rather than hold new elections, the student government is currently hiring new senators, and a committee made up of President Christy Harper, Ryan Klute and Erin Linell, PSU’s campus organizer from the Oregon Student Association is interviewing everyone who has applied for a position as senator.
Four of those six senators who recently resigned represented student groups and with their absence the political cluster, multicultural cluster, the College of Urban and Public Affairs and the Graduate School of Education are currently unrepresented in the student senate.
Vice President Ryan Klute said he wasn’t surprised at the senators’ resignations, which he said is common.
“Senators resigning during fall term has been a pattern that’s been seen in the past. During spring term elections a lot of students are excited, but a lot of things can change in four to five months.”
“Right now we have 14 really strong members,” Klute said, “but our timeline is more crunched because there are so many vacancies.”
Eleven student senate positions are open due to senators leaving because of time conflicts.
Mike Arrington, former student senator who represented the political cluster, is working full time on the presidential elections. He said that turnout for student senators is ridiculously low and just not enough students have come to the table.
Klute said that a senator resigning does change the dynamic of the senate but they’re functioning just fine with only 14 senators.
Harper said it’s probably not fair for students that the some of the senators they voted for have left.
“I encourage people to be selective for who runs for senator.”