In echoes of "Catch-22," the University Assembly (UA) wants to eliminate a clause in its charter that requires 20 percent of each of its constituencies -- students, staff and faculty -- to vote, each time they might want to change the charter.

But that means it needs to get the 20 percent -- some 4,000 students, 1,500 staff and 400 faculty members -- to vote to eliminate the clause.

When the UA adopted its charter 29 years ago, it ensured that no changes to the charter could be made without the 20 percent voter turnout as a way to be sure that the UA could not be dissolved or fundamentally changed. Since then, the assemblies system has become a standard part of Cornell's governance system. Units under the UA's authority have been restructured, and procedures have changed.

But not one substantive change in the UA's authority, charter or membership provisions has occurred.

The resolution proposes to substitute the 20 percent provision with a stipulation that no amendments to the charter can be passed in the same meeting at which they are proposed. This would provide time for community notice and engagement, while allowing the UA to respond to changing campus needs, address new areas of campus concern and eliminate its involvement in matters that are no longer of concern to the university community.

This resolution to eliminate the 20 percent provision needs to first be approved by 20 percent of each constituency. To get that turnout, the UA will hold the student, staff and faculty referendums on this resolution on the same dates as other elections: The student referendum will be held in conjunction with the student trustee election, April 20-22; the staff referendum with the Employee Assembly election, April 19-30; and the faculty referendum with some of its elections in May or June.

"It is critical that we get the 20 percent turnout for these races," said Charlie Walcott, former dean of faculty and now president of the UA. "The UA has stepped up its responsiveness to campus concerns, but it is hindered in the actions it can take on by the aspects of its charter that have long outlived their need."