I was shocked to receive a letter dated April 14, 2005, from the Senate Executive Board asking me to resign from my position for violations of the attendance policy. Apparently there were several executive board meetings to discuss the issue, and the Executive Board decided to ask for my resignation and those of several other Senators. I was surprised that I was not given an opportunity to show that one of my absences was in fact excused and I was even more shocked that the Executive Board had not developed any procedure for appealing their decision.
The timing of this request, coinciding with the final meeting of the semester, suggests not that the Executive Board hoped to find a replacement but that the Executive Board may simply be trying to harm my reputation and that of the other letter recipients. I also wonder if my proposed amendment to strengthen the Right to Know clause of the Senate Constitution, an effort to bring the Constitution into compliance with state law, prompted the Board’s request for my resignation. The Board has certainly sent a strong message to others who in the future might choose to challenge the Executive Board of the Student Senate.
I have decided to resign and I want it to be made clear that it is because of the lack of positive leadership from the Executive Board and not because they have requested my resignation. As a student in the Plymouth State population and an elected Off-campus representative, I am appalled by the guidance of the Student Senate Executive board. Student Senate is an organization to serve the student population. It is not an exclusive group, and it should be governed by democratic principles. I hope that future Senators will build upon those principles.
Sincerely, Maya Blanchette