ASASUD Sen. Andrew Schmiedeler resigned from his position on Wednesday, several days after three other senators filed an impeachment case against him. Neither the resignation nor the impeachment was necessary, however, since Schmiedeler already stood in violation to the ASASUD constitution.
“Andrew did submit a resignation; however … he was never eligible to be a senator this semester,” said Jose Rios Lua, ASASUD director of parliamentary procedures, in an e-mail.
Schmiedeler, former senator for the Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College, violated the ASASUD constitution when he did not register to take at least one credit at the Downtown campus this semester. After the ASASUD meeting on Friday, Schmiedeler was informed of the violation and was given until Monday to add at least one class on the Downtown campus — a day after the add/drop deadline.
However, Schmiedeler said he was unable to add a class because he registered late.
As of Monday at 5 p.m., Schmiedeler was ineligible to be a senator, said ASASUD Vice President Jessica Abercrombie. This was more than a day and a half before Schmiedeler officially resigned.
The impeachment case, which Schmiedeler said was a factor in his decision to resign, focused on his alleged lack of communication with other members of ASASUD, particularly the vice president, and lack of outreach to his constituents.
“I’m always on campus,” Schmiedeler said. “I live a couple light-rail stops away from campus. I’m always talking to people on campus. … I thought that would be enough.”
The case stated that he was not present for the fall ASASUD Meet and Greet, had not made a formal visit to the Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College and had not made any classroom visits.
However, there was one case of a student from the Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College approaching Schmiedeler with a problem, as mentioned in the Senate minutes from the ASASUD meeting on Oct. 15.
Despite this incident, the Judicial Board would have nominated him for impeachment to the Executive Board on Wednesday evening, had Schmiedeler still been a senator. Some ASASUD members said they felt his lack of connection with his constituents could, in fact, hurt the chances of future senators from the Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College.
“Because of the lack of his involvement with his constituents, I’m not even sure they know about the opportunities in student government,” said Beth Wischnia, ASASUD director of public relations.
Schmiedeler, who was one of nine students elected as senators in April, said he had been considering resignation since last semester and “wasn’t fond of the way ASASUD was going.” The impeachment case was the last straw.
Schmiedeler announced his resignation to many of the members of ASASUD through an e-mail he sent on Wednesday.
In the e-mail, Schmiedeler wrote, “We have turned ourselves from a student government to a glorified bank. Instead of reaching out to our constituents we are more focused on dishing out money to student organizations.”
“I encourage all of you to come together and work as one whole collective unit,” the e-mail continued. “Put your differences in one another aside and do what is best for the near and long-term future of the Downtown Campus.”
Schmiedeler is the third senator to leave ASASUD in the last two months. Former Cronkite School senator Michelle Lauer officially resigned at the end of the fall semester to study abroad, and Stephanie Ortiz also left her post as senator for the College of Public Programs near the end of the fall semester. Former director of finance Cameron Polom also resigned from his position in December.
“I don’t think it’s a trend — certainly not a trend in control of the (Executive) Board,” Abercrombie said. “It’s just that individuals needed to go their other ways.”
With Schmiedeler’s resignation, there are now five senate seats open, with 11 active senators. Moreover, the Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College is now without a senator, as Schmiedeler was the college’s only senator before his resignation.
There are also two judicial board seats open and a need for a new director of finance.
“The more students that fill those seats, the better our organization,” Abercrombie said. “But, even with these roles unfilled, we still have a strong organization.”
Contact the reporter at connor.radnovich@asu.edu
