UPB DIRECTORSHIP REMAINS VACANT

Candidates have yet to file for University's highest funded organization

by David Baugher

The University Program Board will begin the fall semester without announcing the selection of its new president.

"The selection committee will review the applications and make a determination as to which would be the best candidate," said UPB advisor Don McCarty.

McCarty said the process of choosing the new president, officially know as the director, will begin today with the passing of the application deadline. He said he expects two of the six bpard members to run but no one has officially declared their candidacy. The selection committee, composed of McCarty, Director of Student Activities Rick Blanton, and the remaining board members are expected to meet on the matter this afternoon.

The new president could be announced as early as the next board meeting Thursday. The presidency pays $4,000 for each one-year term.

McCarty said that the president has many duties but is not directly responsible for putting programs together.

"The role [of the president] will be to support the other chairs," McCarty said, "to teach the other students how to program, think, plan through, and implement the different events."

He said the president's other responsibilities include assisting in recruiting new members and casting tie-breaking votes in case the all-student board deadlocks. "There is some decision-making," he said. "It's not just a caretaker role."

McCarty also said his own role, as advisor, will increase this semester to meet the demands of the organization.

"This campus has had a much more autonomous programming board than most campuses," McCarty said. "That's fine when it works, but then it doesn't work then it's our responsibility to step in and take a much more active role."

The board presidency was converted to a paid position last year. It has remained unfilled since the term of Beth White, the previous office holder, ended in June.