Change De Anza Associated Student Body (DASB)
to
De Anza Student Government (DASG)
and
Merge DASB Constitution and DASB Bylaws into DASG Bylaws
De Anza College has existed since 1967 and for nearly that entire time the students have collectively been known as the De Anza Associated Student Body (DASB) and represented by the DASB Senate. During this time, the DASB has had a separate Constitution and Bylaws. Updating the Bylaws is a fairly simple process handled by the Senate, but updating the Constitution is more challenging and requires a 2/3 vote of the students. Due to this challenge the Constitution has not been updated much over the decades and it has been difficult to keep things current with the changing times. There are many things in the Constitution that no longer apply as the current language is outdated and irrelevant, hence the need to be updated. We recently became aware of the fact that it is not required that a student government have a separate Constitution and Bylaws and that just having a Bylaws is sufficient as long as there is ample opportunity for general student input for future updates. With that in mind we are proposing to merge the still relevant areas of the Constitution with the Bylaws; this initial change will require a 2/3 vote of the students because it effects the current Constitution. The revised Bylaws includes additional time for future Bylaws updates and provides more opportunities for student input.
In addition, the current name of the organization, De Anza Associated Student Body (DASB), is not very clear to students even when the word "Senate" is attached to the name. To make it clearer that this organization is our student government, it is being proposed to change our name to De Anza Student Government (DASG).
What is it?
Merge the student government Constitution and Bylaws into one document which will be become just the Bylaws and change the name of the organization from DASB to DASG.
Who does it affect?
The entire De Anza College community
Financial Impact:
Minimal financial impact: most mentions of DASB are online and only a few signs in or around the Campus Center will need to be updated.
Pro Arguments:
- The De Anza Student Government will more easily be able to keep with the times to better serve students.
- The new name will make the purpose of the organization clearer to students.
Con Arguments:
- It will be easier to change the Bylaws in the future than it currently is to change the Constitution.
- The current name has been in use for over fifty years and thus has a historical connection to the organization.
Link to the proposed De Anza Student Government (DASG) Bylaws
