After 12 years of status quo, changes to the Student Activities fee appear to be on the horizon. In order for that transition to proceed smoothly, it will take a unanimous effort by AU student clubs, media, government and the student body at large.
The Student Activities Leadership Commission (SALC) recently voted to divert 15 percent of the entire fee to pay for executive positions in Student Government, Club Council and Student Media. Previously, each group paid their top executives from their allocated amounts, leaving many key positions underpaid in Club Council and Student Media where funds were already scarce.
This means students who make a serious commitment to one of these groups will receive adequate funding. The Eagle applauds this initiative as a signal of progress toward equitable distribution, but two vital pieces of the fund remain undecided and it’s up to AU students to act.
First, SALC proposed a $15 raise to the semesterly Student Activity fee students pay. Each student currently pays $73.50 each semester, which would rise to $88.50 per semester if passed.
The committee’s second proposal is the fee be redistributed so that Student Government receives 50 percent while Student Media and Club Council split the remaining half and receive 25 percent each. As of now, Student Government receives 72 percent of the fund while Club Council and Student Media each receive 14 percent.
SG plans to vote on these proposals in the Senate March 2, and if it passes, this will go to a student-wide vote. If SG does not approve, SALC will need to garner 650 signatures for a petition before putting it up to a University-wide vote.
The Eagle’s editorial board unanimously supported the fee increase and proposed redistribution of funds. The current $73.50 was decided 12 years ago, and is equivalent to $94.27 today. This means the proposed increase still lags behind the rate of inflation.
Reallocation of funds would allow Club Council and Student Media to reach their full potential since Club Council supports more than 200 clubs and Student Media has been forced to cut back on expenses. For example, The Eagle eliminated staff salaries due to lack of funds this year. Change is long overdue.
There is no reason for SG to maintain such an arbitrarily large share of the fund. While this distribution may have made sense in 2002, it is no longer equitable in 2014. The Senate should approve of SALC’s proposals and make this process as quick and easy as possible. An overwhelming majority of students do support a fund redistribution and increase, according to SG’s own survey.
Ultimately, a change in the Student Activities Fund will rest on the students. Both proposals will be put to a vote in late March. We urge students to vote since this affects all students who participate in extracurriculars on campus.
More than 10 years have passed without an update to the Student Activities fund. As a result, clubs receive little of the funds that exist solely for students to be “active.” If now is not the time for change, when will it be? -E
