A new representative was elected and sworn in Monday night to represent the student body and their academic affairs.
New Academic Affairs Chair Kasie Durkit is taking over for Jeff Devereaux, who recently resigned from chair in the Undergraduate Student Government due to other leadership roles.
“I have other leadership roles involved with many other organizations,” Devereaux said. “I sat down and evaluated where my leadership would be better suited for me.”
Devereaux is the president for the Multicultural Greek Council and said his leadership is more needed there and “someone else to be elected would be more effective in USG.”
For Durkit, school is a passion and she hopes to use that passion to help her new role as Chair.
“It’s exhilarating,” Durkit said. “It’s what I know and love.”
Durkit wants to maintain the integrity of the University and continue it.
“I want to instill a want to learn in the students,” Durkit said during her speech. “I want to bestow passion for learning, and retention is also very important to me because that is where the University gets most of it’s funding.”
Vice President David Neely said Durkit is very qualified for her new position.
“She will fill the role very well,” Neely said. “Alex [President of USG] and I are very excited to work with her.”
Durkit feels that she has big shoes to fill.
“My colleague Jeff has left the bar very high,” she said. “He was motivated for the role and put in a lot of work.”
Student Affairs Chair Nick Puccio was in support for Durkit.
“Durkit is a hard worker,” he said during the meeting. “She [defiantly deserves] this.”
Devereaux agreed with Puccio and believes Durkit is a great successor for him.
“In my decision on who would be qualified and make a seamless transition, the first person I thought of was her,” Devereaux said before the election. “If you elect her tonight, I can guarantee you will have no regrets.”
With her new position, Durkit now has new responsibilities.
“I have my own committee, which is made up of seven to ten people,” she said. “I also meet with several standing committees.”
These committees include a BG perspective committee, undergraduate council, faculty senate and academic affairs committee.
Although Devereaux will no longer be the chair for Academic Affairs, he will still continue to be apart of the senate and participate in USG.
Along with Durkit, several other officers were sworn into office to fill positions that were open before, including several representatives for residential halls.
