By Signe K. Skinion

An Undergraduate Student Government resolution to be voted on Wednesday will ask the SIU Board of Trustees to hold a hearing to determine if two University Housing officials should be replaced.

Andrew Ensor, Southern Hills senator and author of the resolution, said he wrote the proposed legislation asking for a hearing for Ed Jones, University Housing director, and Steve Kirk, assistant director of Residence Life, because of repeated problems between USG and Housing.

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It’s an issue of cooperation and listening, Ensor said. We (USG) have a housing commission, but Mr. Jones has never once asked for a meeting with them. Repeatedly, various senators have went to Jones to try and express concerns or problems, and it goes in one ear and out the other.

Ensor said there are three parts of the resolution that deal with alleged misconduct on Jones’ part. He said the alleged counts of misconduct against Jones go back three years and include several instances, but Ensor would not give specific examples of the allegations.

Ensor said the first count against Jones deals with the Housing official allegedly presenting the SIU Board of Trustees false information about the competency of residence hall food service workers.

The second count alleges improper supervision of the food service workers.

Ensor said the third count alleges Jones as being impartial to the Residence Hall Association. He said Jones improperly gives housing residents the idea that RHA is a student representative body, instead of being a self-interest organization of Housing.

Ensor said the resolution also asks the board to consider replacing Kirk because of an alleged instance of obstructing information when a USG senator went to gain permission to do a SIUC student survey.

The survey was about dorm residents’ reactions to the change in Neely Hall, located in University Park, when more housing was needed to accommodate housing over-21 students. Housing proposed that Neely be the only over-21 residence hall on campus, and some USG members said they were curious as to how students felt about the change.

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Robert Irby, USG senator from the College of Education and a resolution sponsor, said he supports the resolution because of the lack of communication between USG and Housing.

There are many senators concerned with the way Jones overrides our position, Irby said. He (Jones) tries to represent the undergraduates and present them with his view on a subject. The fact is he is presenting the students with a view of his registered student organization, RHA, and they are simply a liaison between what he says and the students.

Irby said the problem is about respect between Jones and USG.

We’ve (USG) talked with Ed over the past year, and we’ve constantly been ignored, Irby said. There are obviously bigger problems here. The thing to remember is that we’re all students. We’re not true politicians. But we are trying to protect the students, and we can’t do that if our opinions and concerns are ignored.

David Vingren, Thompson Point senator, said his constant dealings with Jones are not always productive. However, Vingren said he does not support the resolution.

I think a hearing on the problems with Jones right now would be the best option, Vingren said. I am not going to support anybody getting fired.

Kirk said he could not comment on the resolution until he had seen it personally.

Jones was unavailable for comment Sunday.