SGC-BBC declines merge with SGC-MMC, post alleges

Michelle Marchante/News Director

UPDATE 1/5/18: Student Media has confirmed the post was written by Leonardo Cosio, president of Student Government Council at BBC. To read our update, please click here.

The merge between the Student Government Council at the Modesto Maidique campus and the Student Government Council at the Biscayne Bay campus will no longer be happening, according to a post allegedly made by the SGC-BBC president in a closed Facebook group.

Legislative structure disagreements between both campuses and needing “more buy-in” from students were why SGC-BBC decided to step away from the deal, according to the post Leonardo Cosio, SGC-BBC president, allegedly wrote in SGA BBC Alumni, a closed Facebook group.

The group, which Cosio belongs to, has over 100 members and while anyone can find the group and see its members, the posts are only viewable to group members. A photo of the post was anonymously sent to PantherNOW on Wednesday, Dec. 27.

Photo of alleged Facebook post sent anonymously to Student Media.

The decision to step away from the deal, according to the post, was decided by Cosio, Meredith Marseille, SGC-BBC vice president and Jamie Adelson, SGC-BBC chief of staff.

However, while SGC-BBC opted out of the merge, Cosio still believes merging the two councils into one Student Government Association is a good idea.

“Yes I do think, if done correctly without stupid biases about which campus is better or worse, this is the right move,” Cosio’s post read. “But we could not agree particularly on a legislative structure that would make sense for both campuses as they currently stand.”

Cosio also thanked the group for their contributions to the discussion.

“I’m overwhelmed and humbled to know how passionate and active you all are in current SGA matters. Thank you for your perspectives and contributions to this discussion,” he wrote.

Now that the merge discussion is over, SGC-BBC plans to continue working with Pablo Ortiz, vice president of Regional Academic Locations and Institutional Development, to increase BBC’s student population.

Student Media has contacted SGC-BBC, SGC-MMC and Student Affairs for comment.

PantherNOW will continue to update this story as more information becomes available.

Featured photo by Nicole Malanga/PantherNOW