Former Devils’ Advocates Leader Speaks Out Against Recent Decision

After an appeal was denied, a decision made “for convenience,” and a lack of communication between student leaders and the university, the former president of Tempe Devils’ Advocates decided to go public.

Grant Skala is a former president of the Tempe Executive Board of Devils’ Advocates and an incoming senior studying political science and communications. He spoke out against the recent decision by admissions officers to make Devils’ Advocates a chapter within their office rather than a student-run club.

While the University released the new policy on July 1, the decision affected the former club before the summer began. Skala said he and several Tempe Board leaders — elected by student members during the spring semester of the 2023-2024 school year — will not return to the organization in the fall.

Change in leadership

According to Skala, the leadership was reduced from 10 executive board members to four “student positions.” Because of this, many members were unable to return with equivalent positions.

Among the several positions being eliminated is the events coordinator. The executive board previously had that position to preserve the community of the organization, according to Skali.

Skala said the board worked on changing the organization during the spring semester to accommodate the demands of the fall semester. Throughout the semester and early summer, they reworked their constitution and filed for an advisory waiver to continue as a student club without being directed by admissions.

In late May, search committee representatives informed Skala that the organization had not received a waiver and that they would be moving in a different direction than the board’s original proposal. Skala said he was the first person to be informed of the rejection.

“They explained exactly what this meant for Devils’ Advocates,” Skala said. “I was just there when they told me, and I was shocked. Of course, I didn’t even know this was something they were considering.”

On June 11, an email was sent to all Devils’ Advocates members informing them of the decision.

The future of Devils’ Advocates now lies with the University’s recruitment services. University staff made the decision because of the lack of a faculty advisor, which has been required for all student clubs since July 1. The organization will now operate as a student activity, with a stipend for all members.

READ MORE: Devil’s Advocates Turn to Student Employment Amid New Club Registration Requirements

“Those who made the decision regarding Devil’s Advocates could surely have found a different and better way to move forward, as opposed to the new plan they presented,” Skala said.

One of the leaders of the recruiting department, Vice President Matt Lopez, said they will continue to try to find a way to work with the former board to determine the future of the organization if the board accepts the recruiting department’s limitations.

“I’m interested in having productive conversations,” Lopez said. “The only decision I’ve made is that we’re going to continue in this new structure.”

Lopez said he has had many conversations with ASU leaders, such as student government leaders, faculty and potential advisors, about the renewal criteria in an effort to find a solution for Devils’ Advocates. He said the change to recruitment services was the preferred alternative in the “few weeks” he was given.

“I wish we had more time,” Lopez said. “We didn’t. Everyone was surprised.”

Students protest against the decision

On June 16, Skala and board members sent Lopez a letter of appeal requesting that the admissions office reverse the decision to award him a full scholarship.

The main goal of the letter was to reestablish the registered student organization in order to maintain its previous structure. It also proposed that the Tempe Board of Directors have a say in the “decision-making process regarding the future of our organization as a whole.”

The letter was at odds with the new student leadership positions established by the admissions office, the lack of community, and the lack of communication between the board and the admissions office.

The appeal letter also asked for information about the specific change in university policy that led to the change. The letter noted that “the proposed model was not the only plan presented to ASU leadership.”

The appeal letter was signed by over 100 students and student leaders.

“We hope you are willing to continue this dialogue and work with us in the future to reach a resolution that is comfortable and certain for all parties, as we believe the future of Devils’ Advocates is at stake,” the appeal letter reads. “Devils’ Advocates has been the voice of ASU for 58 years. We now ask for an opportunity to speak on behalf of our organization.”

According to Skala, Lopez rejected their appeal letter on July 12. However, Lopez said he is still willing to continue talks with the former leaders to improve the organization.

“I couldn’t look Grant or anyone in the eye and say that having to find a faculty advisor every year would guarantee that Devils’ Advocates would be able to continue in the future,” Lopez said. “I couldn’t guarantee that. I could guarantee what we set out to do. I made financial and structural commitments to ensure that Devils’ Advocates would be around for another 60 years.”

“AND “Bigger, bigger budget impact”

Lopez said he will continue to talk to student government presidents and current student leaders to make sure “key elements” of the Devils’ Advocates program can continue.

“When we last spoke, one of the realities of some of the decision-making was that we had to comply with new regulations regarding federal payroll and human resources, and now that has a much larger impact on the budget,” Lopez said.

Lopez said the scholarship program began a year ago when student leaders asked for scholarships for those who volunteered their time to the organization. Given that the scholarships were not new, Lopez said he did not consider the scholarships to be related to Skala and the criticism of former members.

For the 2023-24 school year, only student leaders and select members were paid. Since the change, every Devills’ Advocates member will receive a stipend.

However, Skala said he has not noticed a widespread push for all Devils’ Advocates members to receive a stipend.

“Justifying the full employment program by claiming that there was a mass movement of students applying for financial aid to go on trips is something that I believe is not true, based on conversations I have had with former student leaders,” Skala said.

Skala said the financial aid request was mainly for parking approval so that students do not waste money on parking on campus while on field trips.

He also added that there may have been a few students who wanted to make money from the trips, but former student leaders did not say that was the main reason.

“For the vast majority of our student guides, both past and present, the opportunity to lead tours and join the student organization, to get to know the club for what it is and what it offers, was more beneficial to us than making money,” Skala said.

While the change is significant for student leaders on the Tempe campus, students on other campuses have mixed opinions.

Matthew Bird, a sophomore majoring in public service and public policy and minoring in journalism at the downtown Phoenix campus, said the latest change doesn’t change much for Devils’ Advocates, other than the lack of monthly meetings and other events.

“I don’t think the community is going to disappear,” Bird said. “It’s an organization with over 60 years of history, and just because we’re going through this organizational change doesn’t necessarily mean we’re losing what made Devils’ Advocates Devils’ Advocates.”

Bird also said the organization would benefit from having the ability to apply for jobs online because it’s more accessible. That could benefit students who are looking for alternative employment that previously wouldn’t have been available without a management position.

“I’m excited to see how the organization grows over the next year and what the future holds,” Bird said.

Editing: Natalia Jarrett, Sophia Ramirez and Alysa Horton.

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