CCSG members debate part-time students' rights

The Council of Commonwealth Student Governments considered its options on how to change University policies concerning voting and organizational membership rights of part-time students at its meeting this weekend.

The guide also states that "other persons" may be permitted to hold associate membership. However, associate members may not "hold office, preside, officiate, vote, officially represent, or solicit funds on campus on behalf of the organization."

"If you're a part time student, you're not allowed to do any of those things because you're an associate member," said Greg Bednarski, director of student affairs for CCSG.

Part-time students deserve these rights for two reasons, Bednarski said. Part-time students pay more for their credit hours than full-time students and part-time students pay the student activity fee that goes to support student organizations.

This policy was established in the turbulent 1960s, when activists would sign up for only one or two classes in order to take over leadership of an organization. Once they were elected into a position, they tried to push through an outside agenda not in line with the University, Bednarski said.

"They wanted to create organizations that were funded by outside sources or given outside interest," he said.

-- by Kelly Marra