Central Michigan University has proposed a policy restricting the option of faculty members running for political office.

The proposal will take effect July 1, 2008, pending approval and amendments from the Board of Trustees and alterations by faculty members.

In an e-mail dated April 30 to the faculty LISTSERV, Associate Vice President of Human Resources Maxine Kent attached the proposal and requested feedback to the policy by May 16.

The policy states that full-time employees of the university are required to either resign or take an unpaid leave of absence when they comply with candidacy filing requirements, 60 days prior to the date set forth for the election relating to the sought-after public office, whichever date is closer to the elections.

Steve Smith, CMU director of media relations, said the proposal is simply a draft.

“It’s a political year and questions were raised about political candidates (on campus),” Smith said.

This is a result of the Gary Peters controversy, Smith said

“That’s when the questions began, in relation to the Gary Peters reaction, but it goes deeper than that,” Smith said. “The university realized the need for a policy.”

The policy does include some allowances for candidacy.

It does not apply to employees who are candidates for unpaid or temporary offices, such as service on a municipal charter revision commission, delegate to a constitutional convention, or service on a city or county board where the service is unpaid. The policy also does not apply to employees who are candidates for part-time local offices, whether paid or unpaid, that do not require service during the employee’s normal working hours.

The policy is still in draft stages, according to Smith.

“We are still waiting on input from the on-campus community,” Smith said.

The policy also states that all employees who are members of “a collective bargaining unit” like the faculty union are subject to this policy as well.

“I think it’s a great proposal that should have been implemented months ago,” said former Student’s Against Gary Peters spokesman Dennis Lennox. “This is a victory for students and tax payers who wanted to hold Gary Peters accountable.”

The Topinabee junior explained 4 p.m. Tuesday was the deadline to file to run for a Congressional position, and those who filed have until 4 p.m. May 16 to withdraw their name.

“It’s a huge vindication,” Lennox said.

“It’s just unfortunate it took 10 months and a whole host of horrible events for this resolution to occur.”

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