Two years ago, Undergraduate Student Government (USG) President Rubina Javeri and Vice President Kris Ankarlo said they wanted to create a union to assist off-campus students.

However, the Off-Campus Student Union (OCSU) has yet to gain organizational status from the USG Supreme Court or find permanent office space downtown.

Last semester, OCSU President Paul Cronin said the union would not be considered for organizational status because it missed an Oct. 10 paperwork deadline. This semester he is supposedly going to resubmit paperwork and hope for consideration from the Court.

How can the union help students if it cannot help itself? And why, if the idea for OCSU was born out of USG, is current President Ian Rosenberger "hesitant" about making it a department within the organization?

The best solution is for USG and the union's leaders to start over. Only this time, leaders need to start with a solid foundation -- not just a to-do list and one person to coordinate everything -- and build upon it.

It may not be a wonderful public relations move, but it will help in the long run. The time and effort going into structuring and restructuring, submitting and resubmitting paperwork is taking valuable time away from its main mission: to help students.

Start small. The idea of a union to help all students living off campus with things such as legal advice and lease interpretation is a large undertaking. It is understandable that it will take time. Without a concrete plan, though, nothing will ever be accomplished. And, most importantly, keep students informed of what is going on once the plan is set in motion.

OCSU could be a valuable resource for off-campus students, who often need advice and have no place else to turn. Until serious changes are made, though, the union is no more than a waste of time and resources.