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MSA search for student reps. to begin early

The Michigan Student Assembly's campus wide search for student representatives on University committees is starting a few months early this year. The Campus Governance Committee's application process, which usually begins in the fall, is already underway for 1996-97 positions.

"For the first time in MSA history, we're actually conducting the search so the appointees will hit the ground running in September," said CGC chair Probir Mehta.

With the previous procedure, there was often a gap of several months without a student representative on the campus committees, Mehta said.

"It's definitely a bonus that appointments are going to take place in the spring," said Rahul Kohli, an LSA Inteflex sophomore. CGC appointed Kohli as the undergraduate representative to the University's Research Policy Committee.

Kohli said that although his October appointment was appropriate, several graduate representatives appointed later to the committee would have benefited by an earlier instatement.

CGC solicits and processes applications from students interested in filling more than 50 positions on approximately 20 University committees. Some of the committees require representatives each year and other committees are for special projects. The committee recently submitted nominations to Provost J. Bernard Machen for student representatives on the University's presidential search committee.

"CGC is one of those things that makes MSA a functioning student government," said MSA Vice President Sam Goodstein.

Currently, applications are being accepted for student representatives on the University ombudsperson search committee and the intergroup relations program director search committee. The nominees for these positions must be approved by the University president and Board of Regents.

"This is a search for some pretty important people," Mehta said.

Mehta said CGC's appointments this year have boosted MSA's presence on campus.

"This is probably the meat and potatoes of the stuff -- this is what the real student involvement is," Mehta said.

"CGC and MSA's goal is to get as much student involvement as possible," said LSA Rep. Michael Nagrant, a CGC member.

While some of the representatives come from within the assembly, Nagrant said these are a small percentage of the appointees.