It was necessary to revise the student governance structure at NYU Abu Dhabi. General Assembly meetings have consistently low attendance rates, which may be a symptom of students’ dissatisfaction. It also doesn’t hurt to periodically ask ourselves whether the NYUAD Student Government is built in such a way that addresses our needs in the best way possible. As the student body continues to grow and the university matures, reviewing and re-examining how we do things should be adopted as best practice. If we managed to reform the Core curriculum, why not Student Government?

Yet, any proposal to change the current structure should thoroughly consider the pros and cons of the current system, and assess its successes and failures. This must happen through a set of widely advertised forums and discussion groups, and a battery of surveys and other data collection resources that should be used to gauge students’ perceptions of the issue. This should have been the Constitution Revision Task Force’s first mandate, as opposed to being chartered from the outset with designing a system of representative democracy.

The senatorial system proposed by the Student Government Executive Board and adopted in the proposed constitution, made available to students on March 28, entails a radical departure from our current system of student governance. Eschewing the current system of direct democracy in which the student body is the ultimate decision maker by way of the GA, the proposal puts forward a transition to a system of representative democracy in which students elect senators to represent them on a decision making body.

It is not clear if a transition to representative democracy is what the NYUAD student body needs. Adopting a model because it works in our peer institutions, or because particular portions of the student body and the administration are familiar and comfortable with it, does not necessarily mean it will take root and be effective here. The proposed senate runs the risk of adding more complexity to our system of student governance in a case where complexity may already be the reason why students do not feel empowered. Revisiting the present model begs asking ourselves what has worked until now, what hasn’t and why. Only when we have thoroughly answered these questions can we move forward and propose changes. In this effort, alternative models of direct democracy should be our first object of study.

If the student body as a community decides that a model of representative democracy is what best suits our needs, the whole structure that would allow it to work must be designed before students vote to approve the change. The draft constitution that was circulated this week can still be amended, and Student Government should allow sufficient time and provide for the student body spaces to thoroughly debate its merits and flaws beyond an open task force meeting and a GA. Moreover, before any decisive vote to adopt the constitution, a copy of the bylaws must also be made available and discussed.

The Gazelle is devoted to being a platform for dialogue on student governance at NYUAD, welcoming both voices of dissent and affirmation. We will continue to commit resources to thoroughly inform students about developments on this matter.