As transfer students, you expect to draw the short stick on a lot of things around campus. However, you would imagine the Undergraduate Student Government would try to involve you around campus as much as possible. Nevertheless, USG has one major oversight: it has disenfranchised and alienated over 220 incoming transfer students. Over 5 percent of the DU undergraduate population is neither represented nor has the ability to run for an elected position.
Freshmen, for example, are able to vote, be represented, and run for two positions; sophomores, juniors and seniors are represented at least three times each. Transfer students, even though they pay the same fees and have the same yearning to be a part of University of Denver, are nothing in the eyes of USG.
“I am disappointed that I cannot even participate in student government, but freshmen can. It’s as if the student government doesn’t even know that we exist,” said Sam Jewett, a transfer Political Science and International studies major.
These incoming transfers have brought over $42,000 worth of funding to USG. Each one of those dollars is unrepresented. At the most basic form it invokes the idea of taxation without representation.
“They only have to wait one academic year [to vote and run for USG positions],” said Sam Gerk. Throughout the interview he also said “they will look into it” and that “the easiest way to alleviate this is to support a new transfer seat.”
That is little consolation to transfer students who want to get involved, get elected or change the school. Most universities have already thought of this, having senate elections at the beginning of the fall semester, or having transfer student positions.
The USG constitution is the real problem–it is poorly written. It does not ensure a democratic process and it allows students who are not even attending the university to vote for representatives. That’s right; students who don’t even go to DU had the ability to vote for senators. Essentially, former freshmen, sophomores and juniors last year who are not attending the university anymore had the ability to vote for senators for this year. Having elections in the fall semester also ensures equal representation. Everyone from freshmen to seniors to transfers are represented equally.
“There are niche groups, like transfer students, that we are trying to bridge the gap with,” said Gerk.
So Sam, if you really believe in the virtues of democracy, press the senate to adopt and create a new transfer senator position for this year. Make sure students are never disenfranchised and they are never alienated from the processes of USG.
