Current Student Association Cabinet and Senate members have questioned Juan McCullum’s attendance at Cabinet meetings and a purported piece of legislation addressing a new add/drop policy.
McCullum, a candidate for SA president, is the current vice president, which puts him in charge of the SA Senate, though he cannot introduce legislation.
That does not prevent the executive branch from promoting legislation, said SA President Josh Blades.
“The executive branch and the senate work together all the time,” Blades said. He mentioned his promotion of an academic forgiveness bill and SA Treasurer Christina Dennery asking for some changes in the appropriation process.
McCullum initially said would pursue an add/drop policy when he ran for vice president in 2003, according to his 2003 platform.
In a taped interview last week with The Reflector, McCullum said the SA passed legislation dealing with an add/drop policy, as he promised he would during his vice presidential campaign.
“I did the research, got a piece of legislation, and sent it through,” McCullum said. He added that a resolution passed in the fall semester with the drop policy.
The Reflector reviewed all pieces of SA Senate legislation passed during the year and did not find any legislation dealing with an add/drop policy.
When asked again about the policy in a Thursday interview with The Reflector, McCullum said, “There was definitely an add/drop policy… I know for a fact, personally, it was.”
Claire Hardin, secretary to the SA who also keeps records of all legislation that passed in the Senate meetings, said, “I typed every piece ever brought before the Senate. Legislation regarding an add/drop policy was never brought to the floor.”
According to the attendance record, Hardin has never missed a Senate meeting.
McCullum told The Reflector he would bring a copy of the legislation to the newspaper Thursday afternoon. As of 9 p.m. Thursday, McCullum had not given The Reflector the legislation in question.
SA Sen. Jennifer Hermetz also could not recall the Senate passing any legislation submitted by McCullum. “He never presented any legislation himself,” she said. “I know that for a fact.”
The subject of McCullum’s attendance to SA Cabinet meetings was also brought up in his interview. When asked if he attended regularly, McCullum said he attended about 50 percent of the meetings.
McCullum said he missed meetings this semester because he said he had a financial management class, FIN 3123 taught by Charles Beauchamp, Monday nights from 6:00 until 9:30, which he said he discussed with the SA.
The Cabinet meetings are held each Monday night at 9:00.
When asked if the class was the only one offered, McCullum said it was.
The class he mentioned is listed in the university’s master schedule as having two sections. The Monday night section runs from 6 p.m. until 7:50 p.m. with a lab going from 8 p.m. to 8:50 p.m. No class is held past 8:50 p.m.
Kate McIntosh, SA chief of staff and head of the Cabinet, said McCullum only came to Cabinet meetings one time the entire year.
Hardin echoed McIntosh’s claim, saying that she has never missed a Cabinet meeting either and can only recall McCullum being at one.