So, Student Senate is saying it isn’t a public body, as defined by the Ohio Revised Code.
Its members are saying this in response to The Post pointing out that its senators cannot vote in a closed-door session if they are like any other public body in the state.
This problem is especially timely after The Columbus Dispatch recently published an article that said Ohio University’s Board of Trustees illegally made decisions while in a closed-door meeting.
The board said it will properly approve the invalid resolutions during its next public meeting in January and said it will change its policies to remain within the law in the future.
Student Senate seems to have taken a leaf out of the board’s book in retreating behind closed doors to do its job, but, unlike the board, senate seems reluctant to change its ways — even if it’s operating illegally.
The body met Wednesday in a closed-door session to conduct its evaluations of the executives. During the session, the senators voted by secret ballot on whether they had confidence in the top four leaders. So, not only did Student Senate take a vote in a closed meeting, but it also voted by secret ballot, which is similarly illegal for a public body to do.
Ohio University’s student body deserves to know how its representatives are voting. How else can students know how they are being represented and, if needed, make changes come the next round of elections?
But the student senators, most of whom are elected by the student body, say they are neither a decision-making body nor an advisory body to another public body (i.e. the Board of Trustees). If Student Senate qualified as either of those, it would likely be considered a public body under state law.
Although we do not dispute that Student Senate faces the annual challenge of how to set aside petty politicking to actually make a difference, we certainly think they make decisions. The body oversees the allocation of more than $400,000 of student fees annually through the Senate Appropriations Committee. How is that not a decision?
Student Senate also qualifies as an advisory body to the university and the Board of Trustees. Vice President for Student Affairs Ryan Lombardi said the body is a “pulse point” for the board, and Student Senate President Nick Southall said the body was affirmed by the board itself decades ago.
Perhaps the most concerning part of this tiff is the fact that Student Senate wants to have its cake and eat it too. These students spent years as interns and low-level commissioners before placing themselves in the public eye and running for election as the executive members of Student Senate. They chose to be in the spotlight. Now they want to hide away from it?
Additionally, the body delights in its ability to control hundreds of thousands of dollars and to be the self-proclaimed voice of the student body. Its leaders participate in influential decision-making bodies — including the Budget Planning Council — and speak regularly with administrators, including OU President Roderick McDavis.
They’re the closest thing to big shots on campus and we, the students, elected to put them there. But now, when the going has gotten a little rough, they are attempting to shirk the responsibilities that come with the perks and to instead retreat behind closed doors.
True, when the body’s president sent out a questionable tweet, its members did not shy away from the blunder and instead used it to open discussion about an important issue on campus. But, the transparency it showed then should not be a one-time deal.
Embrace the fact you can have influence on this campus and become the beacon of transparency this university should follow.
Editorials represent the majority opinion of The Post’s executive editors.
