The Student Government Association (SGA) Senate passed a resolution that will make the Pause Co-Coordinator positions hired rather than elected. The resolution passed on a vote of 13 yes, 4 no and one abstain on March 3.
Senate failed to pass the resolution at their previous meeting on Feb. 25, but were forced to re-vote March 3 due to the rules of order concerning abstaining votes. With fewer proxy senators in attendance, the resolution subsequently passed at the following meeting.
Current Pause Co-Coordinator Julia Pritchard ’20 introduced the resolution at the Feb. 25 meeting and fielded questions from senators in attendance. Due to one of the questions posed, the resolution was amended at this meeting to specify that candidates for the hired position must be current St. Olaf students.
For the re-vote on March 3, International Student Senator Zhanat Seitkuzhin ’22 motioned to vote anonymously, which was approved. The vote was subsequently carried out through slips of paper passed to SGA Vice-President Ariel Mota Alves ’20 for counting and pronouncement of the final verdict.
At the March 3 meeting, Senate also voted to confirm Sakura Honda ’21 as the new Gender and Sexuality Senator following the resignation of previous senator Jacob Boettcher ’22. Honda secured the position due to her finishing as the runner-up in the special election held Nov. 19, 2019.
The primary disagreement with the switch from an election to a hiring process for Pause Co-Coordinators was raised by several senators who were concerned with administrative overreach into a space that is supposed to be “run by students, for students.”
Pritchard referred to the resolution’s stated explanation in response, that “the responsibilities associated with managing both a business and such a large number of employees mean it is imperative to carefully consider selection of the Lion’s Pause Co-Coordinators,” for which a hiring process provides, Pritchard said.
The first iteration of the hiring process is set to occur this spring, with the deadline for applying April 1.
