At 2:10 pm on July 18th Michael Moore was sworn in as the new Boca Raton Campus Governor. Nearly an hour later, Alvira Khan found out.
Khan, who had been Governor until then, was informed by Moore himself that he had been administered the oath of office. A memo was circulated informing the rest of Student Government.
This change comes after members of FAU Administration enforced rules regarding students’ eligibility to hold SG positions. This has affected Student Government and its agencies across the board-students deemed ineligible must be replaced.
The minimum qualifications for student leaders required by the university are outlined in the Student Handbook. Reginald Garcon, the assistant Dean of Student Affairs, is responsible for checking eligibility and informed the individuals who were affected.
“The rules outlined in the handbook include anything ranging from whether they are degree-seeking or not and the minimum GPA they must have,” says Garcon. “It also identifies that a student must be free of academic probation or disciplinary sanctions.”
Garcon explains that all students employed by SG must be checked for eligibility, and those that were affected this semester were informed by him personally. While only ten members out of 150 were found ineligible, there has been a ripple effect.
The most evident result is in the case of former Gov. Khan. After the decision that she was ineligible, a new governor had to step in. Following SG rules of succession, the Senate Speaker is sworn in as Governor.
Whenever a new Governor takes office, all of the appointments of the previous Governor are rendered invalid. This means that even more students’ jobs are affected, as the Governor hires an entire cabinet, as well as appoints leaders for all of the Boca agencies.
Gov. Moore is now focusing on hiring a cabinet and has welcomed all students to apply for these positions, including those who worked under Gov. Khan. While the jobs were vacated technically when Moore was sworn in, he wishes to give them the chance to reapply.
While Moore was as surprised as anyone to find the position in his hands, he is confident that he will capably serve the students of the Boca campus. “I know how to run a Senate, and I think that I can definitely, with that experience, run a cabinet,” he says.
According to the rules of the Constitution, it seems that this change is permanent. Former Gov. Khan could not be reached for comment.For the students found ineligible, this means losing, at least temporarily if not permanently, their SG positions, but Garcon feels that it is for the best.
“Sometimes it’s important for a student to step back and really look at their priorities and get back on track,” says Garcon. “And when they are ready and eligible to come back, they should.”
