Student Government Association President Anthony Vitale announced at Monday’s meeting that the application for vice president of the University of Massachusetts Student Government Association is available until Dec. 11 at 5:00 p.m.
Vitale said the application is available in print at the SGA office in room 420 of the Student Union as well as online on the SGA website and Facebook page.
Any undergraduate student may apply for the position, but Vitale said he seeks someone who is knowledgeable about student government.
“We really look to have a candidate that is both experienced within student government as well as someone who has a vision for the organization that closely aligns with our current administration,” Vitale said.
Vitale announced Vice President Nick Rampone’s resignation at SGA’s meeting last Monday. Rampone later said he will resign at the end of the 2016 fall semester to study abroad in Shanghai, China.
The application includes the SGA’s mission statement, its equal opportunity policy, responsibilities of the cabinet and the bylaws of the vice president. Questions in the application include the applicant’s GPA, year of graduation and prior leadership positions on or off campus.
It also asks questions about the job including the applicant’s reason for applying, the applicant’s top three priorities as vice president and the applicant’s leadership abilities.
Vitale said a hiring committee composed of seniors from the executive and legislative branches will assist him in appointing the next vice president. The committee of six, including Vitale, will interview each applicant and Vitale will pick someone based on the committee’s suggestions.
He said the committee is conducting rolling interviews, so the sooner an applicant applies, the sooner he or she will be interviewed and the sooner the committee can choose a candidate.
The committee will present the candidate to the Senate at the last SGA meeting of the semester next Monday if it chooses a candidate. The candidate can speak and answer questions before the Senate, who will appoint or deny the candidate.
The president said if the committee makes no decision before then or the candidate is denied by the Senate, a coordinating council will appoint or deny another candidate chosen by the committee over winter break.
The coordinating council is the acting Senate body when the Senate is not in session. It’s made up of SGA senators, chairmen and chairwomen. The council will make its decision over winter break through Google Hangout, according to Vitale.
The candidate will assume office upon confirmation, said Vitale, who wants to elect the candidate before or during winter break.
Rampone was absent from the meeting due to an illness but Vitale said he made a decision that was right for him and doesn’t fault him for resigning.
“We are really terrific at working together as a team, so I will unfortunately miss having Nick as a vice president,” he added.
Rampone is not on the hiring committee but will work with the next vice president upon his or her confirmation to ensure a seamless transition, according to Vitale.
Vitale hopes the next vice president shares his passion for student government.
“I expect [the next vice president] to be someone who shares my appreciation of the student government as well as someone who can work with a cabinet that has already been working together for a semester,” Vitale said.
“I look to have a candidate that is well-liked, well-respected and someone that is able to work with a whole new group of people,” he added.
There is no shortlist for potential candidates at this time and each candidate will be assessed equally, according to Vitale.
Jack Martin can be reached at [email protected].
