On Tuesday, November 22, Jon Schimpf, our student body president, released an email titled “Final Update Regarding the Mission Statement.'' For many, this email went straight to the trash can, and this is understandable. The Student Senate has attempted to pass this document since last semester. (However, last semester, it was called “The Declaration of Intent.”) Since the statement's first proposal in March, the student body has received countless emails (eight that I can find) regarding its content and voting procedure. I, like much of the student body, don't care about this document at all, which is exactly why I'm writing this. So, first, I will show why the Mission Statement shouldn't have passed and, second, why the Mission Statement shouldn't exist.
After reading the final update, I was left a little confused. President Schimpf cited the Student Association of Covenant College Constitution, Article VIII, Section 3.
“A proposed amendment must be submitted to the Student Senate for placement on a
referendum ballot or on the ballot of the next regular election. To be enacted, the proposal
must receive a simple majority of the valid votes cast by no less than one-half of the
Association’s membership.”
Previous emails pertaining to the Mission Statement stated that the document needed two-thirds of the student body to participate in the vote. The struggle for the Student Senate was getting two-thirds participation, not a positive result. Therefore, the statement never passed. That is why Article VIII, Section 3 was brought up. The Student Senate used this to show that they never actually needed two-thirds but half. The vote that happened earlier this semester had one-half participation and then some. Therefore, the statement had actually passed. To their credit, they apologized for not seeing this rule sooner. But was seeing it even necessary?
Article VIII is titled “Amendments of Articles,” and Section 3 is titled “Procedures for Voting.” It is key to understand that these voting procedures only pertain to amendments to the articles of the constitution. However, the Mission Statement was not initiated as an amendment. It was presented as a separate document containing a statement of purpose for the Student Senate. This is confirmed through two means. First is an email from last semester which stated,
“Along with the vote, the Senate would like to add a document to their archive. This document is the Declaration of Intent that the Senate felt was needed for a clearer picture of the purpose and motivation of the Senate.”
Remember, it was called the Declaration of Intent back then. They are essentially the same document, however, and their connection is confirmed in an email sent earlier this semester saying, “This Mission Statement is pulled from the Student Senate’s Declaration of Intent that was proposed last year.”
Further evidence to support the assertion that this document is not an amendment can be seen through the reality that even after the Mission Statement’s passing, the SACC Constitution articles have not changed. Again, the articles cited to justify the Mission Statement only pertain to amendments to the articles. On the grounds that this document is not an amendment, the Mission Statement should not have passed.
So what is the Mission Statement, and why do we need it? Well, the short answer is we don't, but I will expound. Starting off, both the Bylaws and Constitution have procedures for voting only on documents that pertain to the SACC Constitution, Bylaws, Publications Handbook and Club Handbook. The Mission Statement falls under none of these categories. What the Mission Statement is and how it fits into the system of the Student Senate is entirely unclear. If you wish to make an argument for a clearer purpose to the Student Senate, might I draw your attention to the SACC Constitution and Bylaws? Article IV: Student Senate, Section 1 is titled “Purpose.” Its statement is brief but intentional.
“To ensure that students have an active voice in campus issues, problems, and student rights. The Senate shall provide leadership and direction in the planning and implementation of activities which promote spiritual, social, emotional, physical, and intellectual growth. In all of its functions, Student Senate will strive to recognize Christ’s preeminence.”
Compare this to the proposed Mission Statement,
“We aspire to encourage community and faithfully communicate in order to advocate for
the needs and desires of our peers as we work to further God’s kingdom. We seek to empower
the student body and allocate funds on their behalf through humble servant leadership under full
submission to Christ.”
Why do you need a new declaration of purpose when you already have one? The correct answer is you don't. What the Mission Statement achieves beyond the preexisting purpose statement beats me. It's almost like they decided to say the same thing as the purpose statement just in the first-person plural. If you are still confused about the exact function of the Student Senate, look no further than the Bylaws. They are much more extensive, so I will refrain from putting them in this article, but Bylaw A is titled “Responsibilities of the Student Senate,” and Bylaw B is titled “Leadership Duties of Senators.” After reading these, the purpose of the Student Senate is obviously clear, and the Mission Statement has no necessity.
The only other argument for the Mission Statement came in an email from October 5 that stated, “It is our hope to adopt the Mission Statement this semester, to be shared publicly via Covenant College's official website and any other means of communication to both our institution and those outside of it.” The Mission Statement now sits on the Student Senate Informational page. Directly under it is the purpose statement from the SACC Constitution. Make of that what you will.
I know this was a waste of time, but what else was I going to do—school work? All jokes aside, I hope the Student Senate gets back to their purpose and not to fabricating documents to have something to vote on.