The Daily Tar Heel
Printing news. Raising hell. Since 1893.
Thursday, March 28, 2024 Newsletters Latest print issue

We keep you informed.

Help us keep going. Donate Today.
The Daily Tar Heel

Tighten the bureaucracy: Student government should streamline Cabinet

The executive branch of student government has become incredibly bloated.

Under current Student Body President Jasmin Jones, the size of the Cabinet has jumped from 40 to 55 members — a number that makes efficiency a near impossibility.

Jones’ Cabinet consists of 18 committees and 12 special projects, most of which have multiple chairmen.

The size of the increase alone is equivalent to the entire Cabinet at schools like NC State and Duke — with 18- and 13-member cabinets, respectively.

Jones would be wise to streamline her Cabinet.

One of the main tasks of an effective leader is delegation, a task that can be difficult to accomplish with so many people.

No student body president wants to cut a program. But Jones could certainly create subcommittees in place of 55 individuals reporting to her.

One of the more important committees for a school that holds its diversity in such high regard is the community building committee, which gives groups like graduate students, first-generation college students and the LGBT community “a stronger voice and representation on campus,” according to its Web site.

However, there are six other committees and projects whose stated goals very closely echo those of the community building committee.

These could be combined, whether through assimilation or the creation of subcommittees. This move alone would eliminate many Cabinet positions.

Jones’ Chief of Staff Monica Matta is excited about the Cabinet, saying it grows as a reflection of students concerns.

However, there is no reason for such an enlarged Cabinet.

All of the committees and projects have value, otherwise they would not exist.

But the existence of so much overlap is an issue that Jones and her administration ought to address.

To get the day's news and headlines in your inbox each morning, sign up for our email newsletters.