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SGA Vice President seat remains vacant
By Kate Johnson
jokathry@mscd.edu

Almost two months after the Student Government Assembly election, the position of vice president remains unfilled.

“We do not want to rush through this and just bring somebody in to fill the seat,” SGA President Jack Wylie said. “We want to make sure we get the right person, so that’s what we’re going to do.”

According to SGA rules, in the event of a vacancy the president is solely responsible for filling the seat. There is no application process, and anyone interested in becoming vice president may go directly to Wylie for consideration.

Wylie attributes the vacancy to a lack of knowledge about what the position entails. He said that while there was competition for the senate seats and the presidency, people might have shied away from running for vice president due to ambiguity in the job description.

The vice president’s job duties include sitting as the chair of the Student Advisory Board, which oversees more than $2 million in student fees distributed to multiple student services. The vice president also acts as the representative for the executive branch to the senate.

The qualities of an effective vice president, in Wylie’s opinion, include articulation, assertiveness and organization. The most important trait to him is an excellent command of the student government constitution and bylaws, as well as the ability to direct meetings, such as pausing for discussion when necessary and knowing when to move on.

Wylie hopes to appoint someone from within the student government. He said it’s important to him to fill the position with someone who has prior experience.

“I consider this the most important position we have,” Wylie said.