As Student Senate was called back into session at the beginning of the semester, something was missing – senators.
Members of the student governments at UW-Eau Claire, UW-Stout and UW-River Falls agreed that turnover and lack of interest in Senate seems to be the norm, not an exception.
| Student Senate meeting Time: 6 p.m. Date: Mondays Place: Tamarack Room, Davies Center Student Senate will discuss and vote on a number of issues at its meeting tonight, including a bill that would require all student body presidential candidates to have prior Senate experience. |
A total of 11 vacancies on Student Senate needed to be filled at the beginning of this semester, said student body Vice President Meredith Marx. The positions were filled last week, she said.
“We just had the deadline last week, and we had 19 applicants for those positions,” she said.
Marx said Senate had nine vacancies starting last December, but opted to hold off on making new appointments because the new senators would not have been able to do much before break.
Senate also had to fill two vacancies left open this semester.
Senators gave a number of reasons for resigning, Marx said, including class conflicts and study abroad.
“This is normal turnover in Senate,” Marx said.
UW-River Falls student body President Matthew Schuelke said the turnover in Eau Claire’s Student Senate is similar to the turnover at many UW System schools, including River Falls.
“Since the 1960s the feeling that I get is that students have become less and less involved (with student government),” he said. “Most senates have open seats.”
When River Falls’ Senate has an open position, it is usually quickly filled, Schuelke said.
Most of the time a director position could be filled almost immediately, but usually they announce the open position for one to two weeks so more students can learn about the opening and potentially apply, Schuelke said.
Marx said she sees the shift in senators as being an issue that must be faced year to year.
“I think that (interest) fluctuates,” she said. “In previous years they had a really hard time filling positions. This year I think we’ve had a lot of interest, it’s just a matter of keeping those people interested.”
Quentin Lenz, director of Finance for UW-Stout’s Stout Student Association, or Stout’s Senate, said the organization lost four members last week.
“They just left a few days ago,” he said. “I’m sure it’s going to be somewhat hard to fill (the positions).”
High turnover and lowered interest in student government is also common at Stout, Lenz said.
“It’s not that high of an interest here at Stout,” he said.
Marx said one reason some may leave Senate is because it is not what they expected.
“I think with Senate maybe some people join Senate and then they maybe aren’t interested, or don’t have an idea of exactly what we do,” she said. “It’s what you make of Senate – some people are so invested in the organizations and others kind of float through the meetings.”
Marx said she and Student Senate President Chad Wade have worked with Student Senate’s executive board to come up with ways to keep senators interested, including a buddy system that pairs older and younger senators together and a conscious effort to try to steer senators towards issues they might find interesting.
“Senators devote a lot of time,” she said. “It’s important to keep your eyes on all of these issues. You can make change in Student Senate.”
