The Office of Student Development will review its student event approval process and procedures this summer to address student concerns and, to a lesser extent, the student-authored petition to fire an OSD staff member.
"Our review of our procedures has little to do with the petition and more to do with the increase in the number of student organizations and events," said Jon Dooley, assistant dean of student development.
Dooley said OSD established the Student Organization Policy Advisory Committee early in the fall.
"OSD wanted the feedback and advice and guidance of others in the university," Dooley said. "Our process worked well three years ago, but with the increase in student organizations we need to reevaluate our procedures."
Currently there are 213 registered student organizations on campus. There were also 2,200 event approval forms processed so far this year — an increase of 171 percent since 2001-'02, according to Mark McCarthy, assistant vice president of Student Affairs and dean of Student Development.
McCarthy said the petition to fire Pamela Peters, student organizations and leadership coordinator, will have no bearing on any job action concerning Peters.
"We will work with students to improve OSD's practices and increase efficiency," McCarthy said.
According to Brandon Henak, chair of College Republicans and a College of Business Administration junior there have been more than 100 reads about an article mentioning the petition on his Web log, GOP3.
"A lot of College Republicans and many of the student bloggers stand by this petition," Henak said. "Although it's controversial, we support the need for policy change."
Henak said he thinks his dealings with OSD have improved because of the Adopt a Sniper fundraiser and controversy over the table's removal from the Alumni Memorial Union and a result of the petition.
"OSD understands their need to be accountable," he said. "They have to answer not only to the bureaucrats, but the public, alumni and students."
Ryan Alexander, who first posted the petition on his Web log, 1832, said there has been positive response to the petition.
"A lot of people support drastic changes made in OSD," Alexander, a junior in the College of Arts & Sciences, said.
He would not reveal the number of signatures on the petition and said he plans on presenting it to OSD at the end of the semester.
Speaking for himself and not his group, president of Democrats for Life and College of Arts & Sciences freshman Patrick Whitty said he does not feel what the petition calls for is appropriate.
"The approval of Democrats for Life took longer than I expected, but I believe that was due to things outside Peters' control," Whitty said. He said the petition includes legitimate concerns about OSD.
Some other student organizations have not had as much difficulty with Peters or OSD.
Abir Chaudhry, president of the Muslim Student Association and a senior in the College of Health Sciences, said OSD consistently helped promote and plan activities sponsored by the MSA.
"OSD and Pam have been very open to our ideas and very welcoming," Chaudhry said. "Pam was always extremely nice and answered all our questions."
This article appeared in The Marquette Tribune on May 2 2005.