Future Innovation Academy students looking to run for Student Government executive office may not be eligible.
According to SG’s constitution, UF students running for Student Body President, Student Body Vice President or Student Body Treasurer must have completed three semesters at UF before being allowed to run. Only Fall and Spring semesters count toward eligibility requirements. Summer terms do not qualify.
Students enrolled in IA take classes at UF in the Spring and Summer, using Fall semesters for jobs or internships. IA students have the option to take online classes in the Fall, or can petition to take classes on campus if they are behind in critical tracking, said Katherine Glickman, the assistant director for the IA cabinet in SG.
Because of this, IA students may not meet the three-semester requirement until their junior year. Glickman said she didn’t know if IA students could use petitioned courses during Fall to meet requirements.
“This upcoming election, this should be addressed,” said Glickman, a UF biology sophomore, “It’s unfair.”
The constitution can only be changed during Fall elections, wrote Erica Baker, the SG supervisor of elections, in an email. The constitution has not been altered since Feb. 24, 2010. IA started at UF in 2012.
“We are bound by the constitution in how elections (work), so that is currently the way that it stands,” she said.
Glickman said if IA students have taken online classes during the Fall semester, then she thinks they should be eligible to run for office.
“The constitution needs to be specified,” the 20-year-old said. “Not everything is black and white.”
IA students must be enrolled in classes during each semester they wish to participate in SG, wrote Jeff Citty, the director of IA, in an email. He said there are several students in IA who are currently running for office.
“Since IA (students) can enroll in online (courses) in the Fall, and some experiential courses, they can be a part of student government,” he said.
Andrea Rodriguez, a UF marketing sophomore, said she is in her third semester of IA. She said online classes taken during Fall should count toward eligibility.
“I don’t see what the difference is between the Summer semester and a Spring or Fall semester,” the 19-year-old said.
She said IA students in SG should work to change the rule.
“I think that we all should be equal,” she said. “Hopefully they do make some sort of change for IA students in the future.”
Contact Kaitlyn Newberg at knewberg@alligator.org and follow her on Twitter @k_newberg.
