Members of the Student Assembly's Membership and Internal Affairs Committee have missed a comparatively large number of general Assembly meetings this term despite the committee's constitutional responsibility to enforce Assembly attendance rules and even remove members for excess absences.
Some Assembly members are now questioning whether MIAC is able to effectively carry out its duties.
MIAC member Alex Kline '99 has missed four of seven Assembly meetings, Mitsuko Gardner '99 has missed three meetings, Ed Bialas '01 has missed two-and- a-half meetings and Nahoko Kawakyu '99 has missed two meetings. MIAC Chairman and Assembly Vice President Case Dorkey '99 has not missed any Assembly meetings.
The Assembly Constitution automatically revokes voting rights when a member has missed three meetings in one term, and instructs the Assembly's secretary to issue a warning upon two absences -- four of the five MIAC members have now either hit the warning or voting rights revocation stage.
The constitution requires attendance to be taken twice per meeting, usually at the meeting's beginning and end, and each missed roll-call results in one half of an absence.
Even if members lose their power to vote because of poor attendance, the Constitution still allows them to remain as members of the general Assembly and committees, including MIAC. Kline and Gardner are now non-voting members of MIAC.
In addition to ruling on attendance policies, MIAC has the power to select members and size of other committees, rule on membership issues, confirm new members, confirm Summer term Assembly chairs and vice-chairs and appoint student representatives to all College committees and councils.
Assembly reactions
The situation has led some members of the Assembly to raise questions and concerns about whether MIAC's powerful role as Assembly overseer is being compromised.
The committee also has the responsibility to rule on the appropriateness of members' behavior if another member refers an action to MIAC.
"In terms of regulating the Assembly, it seems rather difficult to do that if you're not going to the meetings," Assembly member and former Parliamentarian Jason Rubinstein '00 told The Dartmouth. The Parliamentarian decides the constitutionality of Assembly actions.
Assembly member Matthew Benedetto '00 voiced concern about the high absence rate among members of MIAC at last week's Assembly meeting.
"Things that happen on the Assembly floor are important," Benedetto said. "I don't think it's fair to be judged by someone I've never seen before."
Dorkey said Kline's absences were due to an employment conflict which prohibits him from attending Tuesday night meetings, but does not prohibit him from participating in other MIAC functions such as recruiting new members.
"This term, the way it worked out, Alex Kline has a conflict to attend Student Assembly meetings. We'll work through that," Dorkey said.
While Dorkey may support more liberal attendance standards now, he was the main sponsor of the Constitutional amendment which implemented the attendance policies in 1996, and he supported even tougher rules in 1995 before revising the amendment to gain broader Assembly support.
Benedetto said he thinks members need to allocate their time with their other responsibilities in mind.
"If I knew I had to work during Assembly meetings and someone approached me about being on the Assembly and I knew I couldn't give up my job, I'd have to make a choice," Benedetto said. "And a lot of people have to make these decisions."
"I do wonder if he can serve effectively on MIAC with his current record," Rubinstein said, "How can anyone be tracking membership of an organization which he himself is not a voting member of?"
Another attendance controversy could have further implications for MIAC members. The Assembly has held seven official meetings this year, but attendance was taken at only six.
Despite a constitutional mandate, no record of attendance exists for the first meeting of the year which was also closed to all non-Assembly members.
While Dorkey told The Dartmouth he remembers all MIAC members being present at the first meeting, an absence by Bialas or Kawakyu would mean they too would have lost all voting rights, and no record exists to document anyone's presence.
Assembly Secretary Greg Chittim '01 said quorum, or at least one half of the Assembly membership, was present on that Sept. 28 meeting, but attendance was not taken "because no one thought to take attendance and there weren't very many people there."
Interpreting MIAC's role
Assembly President Josh Green '00 said he does not see a problem with Kline or any other MIAC member's attendance record.
"What's important to me is that membership is doing well, and the truth of the matter is membership is doing extremely well and we've got a broader cross-section of campus than we ever have," Green said. But, he added, "I want every member to show up to as many meetings as possible."
Benedetto said he sees both roles of MIAC -- as overseer and recruiter -- to be equally important. Dorkey however said he thinks the latter is more crucial to the Assembly.
"I do not think the removal powers are very important," Dorkey said. "I think that in terms of the MIAC, it is far more important to be out there and informing."
Assembly Treasurer Jonah Sonnenborn '99, who has also not been present for three Assembly meetings, told The Dartmouth he thinks Kline's knowledge and experience at the College are beneficial to MIAC and he should stay on the committee.
"It's unfortunate [MIAC members] can't be there at all the general Assembly meetings, but things come up. People have to understand that." Sonnenborn said.
Sonnenborn said he thinks much of the members' work occurs outside of meetings, but said he thinks it is important members attend Assembly meetings.
"I remember making the [attendance] rules ... the rules are the rules."
Kline was not available for comment throughout the weekend and in the beginning half of the week because of an athletic injury.
