The newly appointed ASPSU university affairs director Stephanie Rio Collier is ready to fill 23 vacancies on 17 All-University Committees and submit them for final approval to the ASPSU president.
The vacancies are a result of “not having the university affairs director position filled that led to issues of organizational capacity to work on all university committees,” said Ed Hallman, newly appointed ASPSU vice president.
Three committees have complete student vacancies, though 48 positions are currently filled on 28 committees with one to five student members on each, Collier said, who joined the executive staff about a week ago.
“We want to get all the positions filled across the board,” she said. “I’m still getting to know the ropes but I’m taking on the All-University Committees as a priority.”
The most up-to-date information on vacancies comes from the end of fall term. Former ASPSU Vice President Azadeh Chitsaz and volunteer graduate student Sean Green prepared the committee data. According to Collier, Green wanted to join a committee and become involved with the selections process. He is now a member of the organizational budget council.
Chitsaz was working to fill university committees because former university affairs director Rachel Richardson was working on the “inexpensive and subsidized housing yearly campaign,” according to Collier.
Domanic Thomas, assistant director for Student Activities and Leadership Programs, said that after working at three other universities, he has seen students struggle to keep committees positions filled.
Thomas said he feels a lack of accountability contributes to the problem, but ultimately hopes that students are made aware of the opportunities available to serve on committees.
“[Committees are a] great entry point into student government or stepping stone to something that fits student interest,” Thomas said.
He said he promotes the committees because he believes student thoughts and critical analysis make a direct impact on the university, and they afford students opportunities to form partnerships and take what they learn into real-world situations.
Thomas knew a student who sat on a hiring committee, reviewed about 30 professional résumés and was involved with interviews. When Thomas followed up, the student said their approach would be different when searching for jobs in the future.
Collier cites two main problems with filling university committees. She said that no central communication area exists where students can find descriptions of the committees, when committees meet, if there are vacancies, who chairs a committee or how to be appointed. She is currently compiling a database for this purpose.
The other problem with filling committees is that student government members are elected during spring term and generally start making appointments during fall term. Collier thinks it would work better if ASPSU recruitment began spring term—before committee appointments in fall term—and for the database to be kept up and handed over to the new administration.
According to Collier, ASPSU wants to encourage the students to take active rolls on campus.
“The All-University Committees are a key part of shared governance that allow[s] students to have a voice in regard to policies that affect the university,” Collier said.
She is currently following up with student senators who resigned from their positions to determine if they still serve on committees. Serving on committees was a part of the senators’ required service hours this year, she said.
“This is an important step in deciphering what is going on with All-University Committees,” Collier said.
She also intends to check with committee chairs to see if appointees have been active.
Students interested in serving on All-University Committees should contact Collier at colliers@pdx.edu with the subject line reading “All-University Committees.”
Students can also stop by the ASPSU office in SMSU, room 117, and ask to speak to Collier about All-University Committees.