Noting votes

T he words "Undergraduate Assembly" and "accountability" often appear in the same sentence on this page. It is with good reason that students on this campus expect their leaders to be open and accessible to their constituents.

So far this year, the UA has fit that bill. And this weekend, another step should be made toward responsible government.

A proposal is on the table for Sunday that will mandate that all vote totals be entered in the body's meeting minutes. That would include, the proposal says, all internal votes such as Executive Board elections.

This proposal will reverse a ill-advised change that was brought about in April 2004 when the student body, presumably without thoroughly considering the issue, voted to allow a closed session for executive elections. The previous two UA heads were elected behind closed doors -- hardly a model of open government.

While it would be nice if the upcoming proposal went all the way to repeal the closed-door policy, what it does in making public the actual vote is an improvement.

Nothing the UA does needs to be kept secret from the people that put the representatives in office in the first place.

Chairwoman Rachel Fersh realizes this, and should be commended for the work she and others have done to make the UA more accountable this year. Students should take advantage of the newly-created representative Web sites that list each members' accomplishments.

On the whole, this year's UA has been one of the most transparent and accessible bodies in several years. Passage of the voting records proposal on Sunday will be further confirmation of the UA's intent to serve its constituents as best it can.

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