This story has been updated since the Northern Iowan went to print.

Following the resignation of its vice president, Northern Iowa Student Government (NISG) is seeking applicants to fill the position. However, due to the short time remaining in the current president and vice president’s term, NISG has also indicated that they may choose not to fill the vacancy.

Rachel Greene, the former vice president, resigned from her position effective Jan. 16, 2021. Greene, a senior business teaching and economics major, cited a need to focus on academic responsibilities.

“I need to strike a more intentional balance between being a student leader and being a student,” Greene wrote in her resignation letter. “I will take all that I have learned in this role to help me become the best educator I can be as I spend more time on my studies and helping my students in the classroom.”

Elle Boeding, current president of NISG, said on Tuesday, Jan. 26 that she has “no negative feelings whatsoever” toward her friend and former colleague.

“It’s been a really tough year to be in our jobs… This is certainly not the job that we ran for,” said Boeding, a senior political communication major. “I honestly was just proud of her for doing what was best for her and prioritizing her health and education.”

The procedure for replacing a vice president midway through his or her term is outlined only “very vaguely” by the NISG constitution, according to Boeding. It stipulates that she, as president, must make an announcement through campus media seeking applications to fill the position, which must be open for at least two weeks. The Upper Cabinet and the Chief Justice must be present during the application and nomination process, and the Senate must vote to confirm the appointment of Boeding’s nominee.

However, aspects of the system are still unclear, so Boeding is working with the NISG Supreme Court to outline the process. She added that the NISG Government and Legislative Affairs committee will be working to clarify the situation within NISG’s by-laws and constitution.

“When you look at the federal government, there is a pattern of succession… and we don’t really have that, which is a pretty necessary thing for a governing document,” she said. “So that’s going to be something that we’re going to be working on within NISG.”

Boeding emphasized, however, that she and her fellow Upper Cabinet members also want to ensure they prioritize student needs during the rest of their term, which is quickly drawing to a close. The NISG election will take place in February, with the new president and vice president beginning their terms shortly thereafter. 

After a conversation with the Supreme Court on Wednesday evening, Boeding told the Northern Iowan that NISG has decided to keep this timeline in mind when considering applicants. She explained that after all the proper democratic procedures had been followed in selecting and confirming a nominee, the new vice president would have only one week of work before his or her term concluded.

Therefore, she said, although the application will still be open for the required two weeks, and all applicants will be given due consideration, NISG will make the decision that makes the most sense for the organization— meaning they may decide not to fill the vacancy. 

“It’s kind of a tough position to be in right now, trying to weigh what sort of value does this hold,” she said Tuesday. “We have a lot of great projects going on within Upper Cabinet, (and we’re) trying to make sure that all our work for our students gets done.”

The application for Vice President opened on Jan. 22 and is available now at https://nisg.uni.edu/vice-president-nisg-application. The position, which is open to any UNI student, is a paid position with a 20 hour/week commitment. Applicants must be available at 8 p.m. on Wednesdays.

Boeding said they have already received a few applications. Any student with questions should contact her at [email protected].