Next year’s Student Government president stands to make $2,500 more for the entire year if the Undergraduate Senate passes a new bill this semester.
The speaker of the Senate would receive a salary for the first time next year, under this bill.
The past three presidents have been the lowest paid in the SG’s six-year history because of legislation passed by former President Seth Cutter, according to current SG President Nate Bronstein.
Currently, the SG president is paid to work 20 hours per week over the summer and 18 hours a week over the academic year for a total compensation of $8,500. The speaker is not currently a paid position.
The president would be paid $11,000 for the year, under this bill. He or she would need to serve 25 hours a week during the academic year and 40 hours a week over the summer.
The speaker would be paid $1,500 to hold 10 office hours per week during the academic year.
The money will come from the SG General Budget, according to Yeates.
The SG allocates over $600,000 every year, Yeates said. This money is generally paid out to various sub-sections of the SG.
There are restrictions, due to AU’s non-profit status, on how much money can be spent on salaries.
“Under non-profit law we are not allowed to spend more than 15 percent on stipends. We spend something like 11 percent,” Yeates said.
Bronstein is not compensated for overtime.
“I average about 50 to 60 hours a week,” Bronstein said. “So everything beyond 20 hours I’m not being paid for.”
Former SG President Andy MacCracken said it is important to properly pay executives for their work.
“If you don’t have any type of compensation involved, you limit who can run and hold a position,” he said. “Unless someone wants to hold down another job, they really can’t do student government at the same time.”
But Bronstein said there’s a downside to increasing the compensation.
“I have mixed feelings about it because when you’re paying these positions, you’re also pulling money from other places,” he said.
Current Speaker Eric Reath said most executives need to log hours over the summer and it costs a significant amount of money for students to stay in D.C. to prepare for the academic year.
The bill “sets the expectations for compensation over the summer, more than anything else. There is summer pay for executives so they can stay here. The cost of living in D.C. is absolutely absurd,” Reath said.
Reath said he spends about 10 hours a week on his job.
“We are a volunteer organization. But with the responsibilities that our Student Government has, I think it’s only fair that the people who run the organization get paid,” he said.
The Budget Committee and the Compensation Task Force are currently considering the bill. It will move to the Senate after the members of these committees make their recommendations.
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Other changes
This bill also pertains to the salaries of other members of the SG’s executive branch. The chief of staff, the programming director of Women’s Initiative, the director of Bike Lending and the director of Communications & Marketing would be paid a regular salary of $3,500 and would be required to work 18 office hours per week during the academic year. These positions were previously only paid stipends of no more than $2,500 out of a fund specifically designated to pay those who did not receive a paycheck.
The director of the Student Advocacy Center and the director of Design would no longer be required to work summer hours. Their salary would be decreased to $3,500 and their office hours to 18 hours per week during the academic year.
The chair of the Judicial Board and the chair of the Board of Elections would be paid $750 for their services.
The vice president, secretary, comptroller, director of the Women’s Initiative, director of the Kennedy Political Union and director of the Student Union Board would continue to be paid $8,500 over the course of a calendar year and would maintain the required 20 office hours per week during the summer and 18 hours per week during the academic year.
The director of Information Technology would continue to work 18 hours per week during the academic year and receive a salary of $3,500.