As The Daily was reporting Wednesday night that UOSA Undergraduate Student Congress has consistently violated the Oklahoma Open Meeting Act because it fails to update its website, updates mysteriously began appearing on the site.
It seems Student Congress was suddenly motivated by the fact that a Daily reporter was onto its negligent behavior, and decided to retroactively update its website with past agendas.
Student Congress could no longer ignore its lawful responsibilities to be a transparent governing body. Now, all agendas through the Sept. 14 meeting are online. We hope Congress, and the other three stagnant UOSA websites, will be updated with agendas each week, 24 hours before the meetings take place, just as the Open Meeting Act mandates.
But the responsibility of updating the Student Congress website doesn’t only fall on the shoulders of the student leaders we elect; the office of Student Affairs, the advising office for UOSA, should be holding these students to higher standards — or at least making them follow the law.
According to the Open Meeting Act, “willful violations” of the act are considered misdemeanors, and can invalidate some of the actions taken by a governing body.
Does this mean some of the motions passed by Undergraduate Student Congress aren’t lawfully in effect?
When Student Congress confirmed the OU-Texas holiday at the first meeting this fall — the holiday that will cancel Friday classes and give students time to head to the Red River Rivalry in Dallas Oct. 2 — does that mean it is no longer valid?
Other branches of UOSA, such as the Graduate Student Senate and General Counsel, have managed to maintain up-to-date websites, which is great.
But a branch so important to student life as Undergraduate Student Congress should have priority.
There are serious problems with our student government, and the OU administration isn’t doing enough to help Undergraduate Student Congress do its job and follow the law.
Now it’s time for Student Affairs to fulfill its responsibilities.
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justsomeguy13 1 year, 8 months ago
By my count that is 3 consecutive issues the Daily has run an UOSA opinion article. Sure the press is supposed to be observing government to make sure everything is Kosher. But 3 issues in a row? Come on, there isn't a scandal. This is student government. We all know its just a bunch of folks sitting around trying to boost their resumes. Is the world so boring that you don't have a controversial issue to rant about? Why not have two writers argue with each other over whether or not our president is a socialist? Why not have someone discuss what policies Oklahoma could enact to make this a better state? Why not do something controversial? Please, just do something to fill that third of a page that the UOSA article takes up. It is rather annoying and ultimately pointless.
jahrabizad 1 year, 8 months ago
Yes of course the Student Congress website is in the process of being updated.
a) It was something that had already been started.
b) Did you think we weren't going to begin the process of coming in line with the Open Meetings act after that article? I'm sure Kathleen was hoping we wouldn't so her assignments for this coming week would already be written.
We realize there is a problem, we are fixing the problem, time to move on now.
soonerboomers 1 year, 8 months ago
At no point can you allow yourself to be out of line with the open meetings act. There is no room for "doing it tomorrow." The student government is operating in a criminal fashion and all those who participate in it should be ashamed of themselves. Or perhaps, very proud of themselves, for it is the first instance I know of where a group that does nothing, does that nothing criminally.
glazedwithrainwater 1 year, 8 months ago
Soonerboomers, read the original article. It was not all branches of the student government that allegedly violated the Open Meetings Act, only certain branches. To make a blanket statement that "the student government is operating in a criminal fashion" denigrating all who participate is a gross oversimplification.
Frankly, I'm tired of your apparent hatred towards student government based on your continual comments. At least there are individuals willing to stand up and fill roles that the Regents have requested be filled. What are you actually doing to improve this campus?
soonerboomers 1 year, 8 months ago
Oh my, the regents have requested you fill the role? Well, by god, you must do it! I am glad you do what the regents tell you to do. In any event, the student government was created by the regents as a way of pacifying student participation (which was growing in the 1960s). It did that well. Give a body no power, and then claim it to be representative, which will only make the dumbest of resume-builders ever want to be in it, thus locking out real student involvement and representation.
Also, believe me, there are many better ways to "improve the campus" than the student government. I mean, first off, every student who exists does at least as much as the student government does to improve the campus, i.e. nothing. In fact, my dead ancestors laying in the ground also do as much as the student government does. If people really wanted to help the campus, they wouldn't join an organization that they know does not do anything. That would be the last thing you would do. In fact, the only people who would do so are people interested in things other than helping students.
Join a student group that is consistent with what you want to see the campus do. GLBTF works on campus discrimination issues towards gays; if you want to help campus in that area, go there and do it. Women's and Gender Studies Student Association works on feminist issues on campus, making sure the issues of women are properly represented and observed on campus. If you care about that, go there. OUR Earth works on improving campus environmental policies. They do so with far more effectiveness than student government; go there if you want to do that. SDS takes on all of three of those issues and dozens of other things too. If you want to change things on campus, work with them.
All of those organizations have had more effectiveness in the last year alone than the student government has in the last decade combined. Don't pretend the student government is the way to improve campus.
alaskaairborne 1 year, 8 months ago
I think some people are so concerned about "looking bad in the paper" that they're missing the point. Breaking state law isn't something that just gets glossed over. Its a big deal.
The problem is that the Administration has failed student government. By failing to take any substantive action when WILLFUL violations that have occurred in the past, they have perpetuated the notion that it's OK -- as you can see from the comments by various student government leaders. And, that's simply not the case.
UOSA is a public body -- invested with governmental decision-making authority by the Regents. That means that the Administration works for them when they're performing those functions.
They should be receiving expert advice from the university's legal counsel. They should be receiving the necessary IT support to comply with state law. And, when there's a series of problems, they should be receiving the guidance and assistance to make sure it doesn't become a recurring issue.
Why aren't they?
quotetheraven 1 year, 8 months ago
Alaska- This is a state law that the State Legislature is exempt from following. Somehow, that lessens the impact of the statement "state law." The rank hypocrisy is... palpable.
HankL 1 year, 8 months ago
Hey soonerboomers. So far from what I've seen, SDS which apparently you're a part of, does nothing other than complain and make trouble because they are upset that UOSA does nothing. What does that accomplish? nothing. You guys are a joke of a student organization and serve no real purpose but to teach a bunch of hippies how better to cause problems. Have fun being worthless and growing up complaining about the government and making $15,000 a year.