The Student Association is now accepting applications for appointed Cabinet positions as well as applications for the position of treasurer.The cabinet is appointed by SA President-elect Jeremy Johnson, who said he is open to new people and ideas and is not looking for anyone in particular for the positions.
“I’m just looking for people who are the most qualified and the most willing to work,” he said.
Johnson said his new power is something that he’s having some trouble with. He said he refuses to give priority to his friends during the application process and plans to view each applicant equally so that no one has any special privileges.
“All my friends keep saying, ‘Hey, are you going to help me out?’ I just tell them that the most qualified will get the position,” he said. “That’s what I’ve been saying, and that’s what I’m going to stick to.”
Johnson said that there are 17 committees with about 22 Cabinet director positions that need to be filled.
Once applications are turned in, Johnson and other executive officers will interview each applicant. After the interviews, the staff will sit down and decide who will be appointed.
Johnson said that some available positions include directors of Freshman Forum, international student affairs, athletic affairs, academic affairs and several newly reinstated committees.
“We’re bringing back the disabled students committee,” Johnson said. “I talked to them, and they really want that position back.”
SA Senator W.C. McClendon said that anyone is invited to apply, including previous cabinet members. He said there have been plenty of years in which people have returned and served on different committees or in different positions.
“I am impressed with Johnson’s impartial and unbiased application process and am looking forward to serving with him through many other situations down the road,” McClendon said.
Jeral Self, Jeremy Johnson’s co-chief of staff, said she hopes a large number of students will apply for Cabinet positions.
“These positions are wide open, and an interested and qualified person could become extremely involved,” she said.
Self said the application process is simple.
“We’re looking for people who are willing to be committed to the SA and the university. That’s all we want,” she said.
The candidates for treasurer were disqualified in the February election, opening the position for appointment.
Johnson said that he and his staff have decided to set up a separate application process for the position of treasurer.
He said that students interested in applying for treasurer will have the opportunity to come by the SA office to sit down with him and the executive staff.
Johnson said he wants to keep the appointing fair and equal so that students who did not want to run for a position will still have a chance to be involved.
“If I play favorites, then it wouldn’t be a student association. It would be ‘Jeremy’s association,’ and that’s exactly what I don’t want,” Johnson said.
Students may pick up applications in the SA office, located in Herbert Hall. March 21 is the last day for applications to be turned in.