Ohio University Student Senate committee proposes new model for direct democracy
A summer committee charged with discussing a direct democracy model for Ohio University’s Student Senate has reached a compromise: “town-hall-style” meetings.
Senate members, like treasurer Hannah Clouser, were concerned about the logistics of a direct democracy on a campus with more than 22,000 students.
“I think the fact that this committee is happening shows tremendous resolve and commitment on the part of the incoming Student Senate body to ensure direct democracy and meaningful participation of all OU students in the decision-making process,” said Ryan Powers, a member of the committee and the Student Union, in an email.
The committee of Student Senate, Student Union and Graduate Student Senate members was established last spring as a condition of a resolution that aimed to give every OU student the right to vote in a senate meeting.
A group of four — about half of the committee’s intended members — have met several times over the summer to discuss a way to increase participation in student government.
“One of our biggest concerns is, if we have this participatory democracy, it’s only going to be the union participating,” Clouser said.
In an effort to include all students, the committee agreed that each college should hold “town-hall-style” meetings to discuss resolutions before they make it to senate’s general body floor. Another goal of college meetings, called unions, is to help elected senators connect with the students they represent.
“Each college senator will vote based on what they hear from their constituents — which is what a representative democracy should be about anyway,” Clouser said. “People still won’t be able to vote directly in the senate, but they’ll be able to vote directly in their union meetings.”
Clouser also stresses that each college will be able to choose between having a union and relying solely on their elected representative.
New rules for senate commission meetings embodied another compromise. Usually held weekly or biweekly, these will operate under a “two-meeting rule.” If a student misses more than two commission meetings in a row without contacting the commissioner, their right to vote in commission meetings can be revoked.
“I think the nature of our compromises will ensure that direct democracy actually happens at Ohio University in the smoothest and most efficient way possible,” said Powers. If senate votes in favor of the proposed model, it won’t be implemented until spring semester.
“There’s still a lot to figure out but I think we’ve come a long way from where we started,” Clouser said. “It’s a solution where everyone is still able to participate in the unions, but the structure of senate is still upheld.”
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