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Organizational Strengths
The Executive Board of the Black United Students from the beginning consisted of two executive officers: the President, the Executive Secretary and six Ministers: Grievance, Culture, Social, Information, Education, and Economics. These officers were the equivalents of the current Executive Board structure with some minor differences: President, Vice President, Executive Secretary, and Treasurer and six Standing Committee Chairs: Programmer, African Affairs, Community Affairs, Political Affairs and Grievances, Academic Affairs, and Publicity. If there were any discernible difference at all, it derived from BUS' early attempt to imitate the structure of the Black Panther Party. Nevertheless, during the 1980s, the leadership of BUS controlled a budget in excess of $50,000 not including the funds awarded other black student organizations.
Over a period of three decades, BUS' male and female leadership demonstrated a seriousness, commitment and dedication to duty not expected in young people. In keeping with the educational mandate passed to the Institute for African American Affairs (!AAA), and later to DPAS by the Black United Students, a set of Operational Imperatives was developed. These imperatives were designed to maintain a viable academic, cultural, social and administrative working relationship between this organization and DPAS. This working relationship encompassed all aspects of the Department's curricular divisions, programs, and activities which directly impact student concerns. To affect the orderly implementation of the relationship between BUS and DPAS, the President of BUS, or his/her designate, has been authorized to attend all faculty and staff, curriculum committee, or special purpose meetings whose deliberations warrant student input. In the fall, the Department hosts orientation or transition workshops for the newly installed officers of BUS.
The Department, for obvious reasons, supports the underlying philosophy of the Black United Students which is to serve and unify all the black students at Kent State University by addressing their needs. BUS seeks to identify relevant issues and initiate appropriate action, whenever and wherever necessary, in order to either reduce or eliminate any impediments found to be adverse to the continued well-being, matriculation, and graduation of African American students. Social, cultural, and educational programs, activities and ideas have been generated that relate to the past, present, and future goals and aspirations of African people for this express purpose.
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