2008 Woodie Awards
Where's the Love?
Main Editorial
Issue date: 11/18/04 Section: Opinion
- Page 1 of 1
Salika Berkovich, a longtime bookkeeper and well-respected employee of the Student Government Association, submitted her letter of resignation to SGA President Jacob V. Hudnut recently - not an announcement of her desire to retire - but of her desire to leave Montclair State University.
The details of her resignation, at this time, are not clear, but it seems as if the decision to accept the resignation was made not in the best interests of the organizations of the SGA and the students who run them, and at the very least, was not made in accordance with the opinions of several SGA executive board members.
Berkovich will only have nine days to train a replacement, a relatively short period of time for a position of such importance. For a position affecting so many students on this campus, it brings to question the authority placed in the hands of one person. It was Berkovichs' decision to resign, but it was Hudnut's decision to accept the resignation and to deny the SGA the courtesy of open debate regarding his course of action.
At this time, Berkovich has declined comment due to "legal obligations." Of course, if this is a cut-and-dry decision to leave, why won't she simply say that she's had enough of MSU? Why would two of Hudnut's top lieutenants voice negative opinions on how the situation was handled, saying that the decision to accept her resignation was made with "haste?"
Not to jump to any conclusions, but the facts and opinions of those offering comment would seem to indicate that more was at work here than an employee's simple decision to quit.
The president is not able to dismiss an employee without the consent of the entire executive board; however, due to the fact that Berkovich offered her resignation, the opportunity to freely remove her was open and available.
An extreme amount of faith in the good judgment of the SGA president is provided for in the constitution, and if that is the standard of which the student government operates, then regardless of how one may feel, the president has the final say.
But let's refer to an old cliché: "where there's smoke there's fire." With a lack of definitive answers, there are only more questions that will need to be resolved in the near future.
The details of her resignation, at this time, are not clear, but it seems as if the decision to accept the resignation was made not in the best interests of the organizations of the SGA and the students who run them, and at the very least, was not made in accordance with the opinions of several SGA executive board members.
Berkovich will only have nine days to train a replacement, a relatively short period of time for a position of such importance. For a position affecting so many students on this campus, it brings to question the authority placed in the hands of one person. It was Berkovichs' decision to resign, but it was Hudnut's decision to accept the resignation and to deny the SGA the courtesy of open debate regarding his course of action.
At this time, Berkovich has declined comment due to "legal obligations." Of course, if this is a cut-and-dry decision to leave, why won't she simply say that she's had enough of MSU? Why would two of Hudnut's top lieutenants voice negative opinions on how the situation was handled, saying that the decision to accept her resignation was made with "haste?"
Not to jump to any conclusions, but the facts and opinions of those offering comment would seem to indicate that more was at work here than an employee's simple decision to quit.
The president is not able to dismiss an employee without the consent of the entire executive board; however, due to the fact that Berkovich offered her resignation, the opportunity to freely remove her was open and available.
An extreme amount of faith in the good judgment of the SGA president is provided for in the constitution, and if that is the standard of which the student government operates, then regardless of how one may feel, the president has the final say.
But let's refer to an old cliché: "where there's smoke there's fire." With a lack of definitive answers, there are only more questions that will need to be resolved in the near future.