A bylaw amendment changing the appointment procedures for chief of staff and chief programming officer failed on its third and final reading at the Associated Students Inc. Senate meeting Wednesday.
The amendment failed in a 12-7 vote with two abstentions. In order for the bylaw amendment to have had passed, a two-third majority vote would have been needed.
The chief of staff and the chief programming officer are appointed executive officer positions in the president’s cabinet.
The amendment, authored by Senator-at-Large Jason Neas, would have required the president to select three of their best nominees for chief of staff and chief programming officer and present them to the Senate. The Senate would then select the best of the three nominees while taking into account the recommendations that the president gives them. Under current procedures, the president selects one nominee for the Senate to confirm or deny.
Neas said he created the amendment to ensure that the best people were chosen for the positions.
According to Neas, past chief of staff positions have been given to close friends or campaign managers.
“They’re $20,000 jobs with a whole lot of responsibility, we need the best people to fill the position,” Neas said.
During the Senate meeting, the Senators debated if the bylaw amendment was the best solution.
“I think everyone in here knows that the appointment process is a little bit flawed,” said Manuel Nieto, Senator of the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics.
Other Senators questioned if the bylaw amendment shows that the Senate does not trust the president.
“I don’t think it’s an issue of not trusting the president, but an issue of the president being on the same page as the Senate,” Neas said.
The chief of staff and the chief programming officer each make a salary of $18,970 annually in total compensation.