Following the resignation of its at-large director, the Graduate and Professional Student Assembly will end the semester with unfilled positions on the executive board.

The at-large director also serves as the groupâÄôs representative to the Board of Regents, so it requires a different appointment process.

Terrance Paape, who was elected to serve as GAPSAâÄôs at-large director last spring, submitted a formal resignation letter Nov. 21, but the day before the November assembly meeting he sent an email to several members of the executive board rescinding his resignation.

In the email, Paape also informed GAPSA members that he would be leading the meeting as usual.

But he didnâÄôt show up to the assembly, and GAPSA President Abou Amara conducted the meeting as originally planned without Paape at the podium.

âÄúIâÄôm not kidding when I say I donâÄôt know whatâÄôs going on,âÄù Amara said after the meeting.

GAPSAâÄôs Executive Vice President Brittany Edwards had to take over some of PaapeâÄôs responsibilities in his absence.

âÄúHe just decided not to show up,âÄù she said. âÄúWe didnâÄôt know exactly what was going on, and it was confusing for everybody.âÄù

On Wednesday the executive board met to formally accept PaapeâÄôs resignation, which was effective two days later, this past Friday.

Paape declined to comment on the circumstances regarding his resignation other than to say he resigned for âÄúpersonal reasons.âÄù

This was the start of PaapeâÄôs second year with the organization. During that time he held several different positions. Many considered him to be an important asset to GAPSA, though others believed his behavior on several occasions was inappropriate and âÄúdramatic.âÄù

Jesus Estrada, former vice president for programming who also resigned earlier in the semester, said Paape had been helpful ever since he took over the responsibilities of vice president for public affairs last year.

The executive board sent an email to the assembly Monday that stated PaapeâÄôs resignation was formally accepted but refused to comment further.

GAPSA still has one of its two representatives to the Board of Regents, but now it has to decide how to fill the vacant position, which has a different appointment process.

GAPSAâÄôs officers rank applicants for the Board of Regents position before they become either representatives or alternates. Ordinarily, there would be an alternate to take PaapeâÄôs place, but in this case, Edwards said the alternate took a leave from the position, and the next available alternates are undergraduate students.

The groupâÄôs executive board is now discussing how to fill the position and is drawing up a contract to be approved by its Internal Affairs Committee. GAPSA will replace the at-large director with a student affairs representative in order to fill the current voting spot on several committees.