The University Judiciary Committee elected third-year Nursing student Caroline Eckert as Vice Chair for first-years and third-year Medical student Matthew Thames as Vice Chair for trials Friday.
The appointments fill vacancies left by the resignation of third-year Batten student Shanice Hardy and an unfilled first-year vice chair position.
Eckert became involved in UJC as a first year, serving as a judge on the First Year Judiciary Committee.
“Coming to U.Va., I wanted to get involved in an organization that really represented our university’s infamous student self-governance concept,” Eckert said in an email. “The Vice Chair for First Years in office when I was a first year served as a mentor inside and outside the UJC, and I really want to be that [this year] for these new U.Va. students.”
Eckert said the primary job of her new position is to help organize fall recruitment and to choose and train new members of the First Year Judiciary Committee.
“My primary objective [for the term] will be to increase first-year involvement in the committee as a whole,” Eckert said. “Often the FYJC is confined to their own case load, and doesn’t get to experience and learn about the larger committee until their term is over at the beginning of their second year. I hope to change this and have them more involved in the UJC from the beginning.”
This election marks Thames’ first involvement in UJC. As vice chair for trials, his primary responsibilities include scheduling and coordinating trials and training new judges.
“My goals are to be consistent and transparent in how we uphold U.Va.’s standards of conduct,” Thames said in an email. “Taking another step forward and holding a leadership position within UJC will enable me to help craft exactly how [the UJC] mission is carried out and ensure it is done so in an efficient and sustainable manner.”
UJC Chair Timothy Kimble, a third year College student, said he wants to increase UJC outreach this term.
“Making students aware of the Standards of Conduct is important to maintain and promote the type of community that is reflective of our overall system of values,” Kimble said in an email. “I think we can always get better at communicating that.”
Kimble said that he is happy with the newly elected members.
“I like that we have four different schools represented in our Voting Members,” Kimble said. “One issue that UJC has faced in the past is engagement with the graduate population. I think new perspective will shed light on how we might improve that.”
The executive committee’s term began April 1 and lasts for one year.
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