Serving the campus of the University of Alabama since 1894

The Crimson White


Serving the campus of the University of Alabama since 1894

The Crimson White

Serving the campus of the University of Alabama since 1894

The Crimson White

SGA Executive Secretary resigns

Student Government Association Executive Secretary Kelsey Kurth resigned Friday in relation to the altering of First Year Council applications in September, said SGA Attorney General David Simpson.

As executive secretary, Kurth’s responsibilities under the SGA constitution included blinding applications for First Year Council, a freshman leadership forum, and reducing the applicant pool to a number appropriate for interviewing. However, Simpson, who led an SGA investigation into the FYC violations, said these duties were not carried out.

“One of the problems that I identified in my investigation was that FYC applications were not blinded in a manner that would keep applicants’ information anonymous when reviewed for grading,” he said in an email.

In October, SGA Speaker of the Senate Ryan Flamerich said in an interview with The Crimson White that SGA officials altered the GPAs of FYC applicants and purposefully selected applicants from specific fraternities and sororities.

Kurth is the third SGA leader to resign during the investigation, after former FYC Director Sara Lavender and former SGA President Grant Cochran. The Office of Student Judicial Affairs took over the investigation from the SGA in late September after Simpson recognized violations of the Code of Student Conduct had occurred.

When asked why she resigned and whether the Office of Judicial Affairs was involved in her resignation, Kurth provided the following statement: “It has been an honor to serve the students in this capacity and I am very appreciative for the opportunity. This has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my college career. I have strong faith in the Swinson administration and am confident in their ability to move forward.”

SGA President Stephen Swinson thanked Kurth for her service to SGA in an e-mailed statement.

“Kelsey will be missed, but we recognize the need to move forward,” Swinson said in the statement. “We will move forward swiftly to fill this vacancy in accordance with our SGA Constitution.”

Applications for the position of executive secretary will be available on Monday, Nov. 14, and interviews will follow. All students who are interested in SGA are encouraged to apply, Swinson said.

 

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