The ASUO Student Senate kicked off the new year Wednesday night by resolving an issue left over from the summer: Whether to allow student groups to transfer money from leadership to work study accounts so that eligible employees may benefit from the federal work study program.
In the end, the Senate decided to “grandfather” the issue, thus taking each request on a case-by-case basis while determining specific details and stipulations.
Stemming from a special request made by the ASUO Women’s Center at last week’s meeting, the issue of transferring money from leadership to work study remained the focal point for much of the meeting. Last week, the Women’s Center’s asked that funds from its leadership account, which contains payments for stipend positions, be transferred to its work study account. Doing this, one of the center’s student employees would be able to take advantage of the work study program for which she is eligible.
Transfers generally are not a problem, Sen. Peter Watts explained. However, he said, “with this one it’s a little bit different.”
The difference rested upon two main hitches.
The first dealt with the amount of money a student with work study receives as opposed to the amount received by one paid with a stipend. Through work study, the federal government is able to give qualifying students more money on top of what they are paid through the organization, depending on their need. This, Watts said, could theoretically result in one student earning more than another for the same job.
Sen. Lindsay McLean argued that work study is different from stipend positions; she herself has both.
“A work study position is a job, you go there for employment. A stipend position is a lot different from that. . .The reward is included in the work.”
Other senators disagreed.
“I think it’s a huge access issue,” Sen. C.J. Gabbe said. “And I think all of us want to make sure that leadership positions are as accessible as they can be.”
The second issue revolved around what Watts described as a “three-percent kickback.” To cover insurance costs, payroll assessments and other fees, he said, someone has to pay three percent of what a student on work study has made throughout the year. The question that arose was who would pay that three percent.
While in the end most of the senators agreed that work study is a good program that allows those who otherwise might not be able to be involved in campus leadership activities, some were worried about the kickback and just where the money would come from.
“There needs to be some kind of accountability and responsibility for the three percent,” Sen. Mary Elizabeth Madden said. “It shouldn’t just be a gift to them from the surplus. They need to figure it out.”
After over an hour and a half of debate, the senate finally decided to make student groups responsible for covering the “kickback” if they choose to employ students through the work study program. It also determined it would take the year to fully work out the details.
As part of the grandfather motion, Senate also decided to form a committee that would look at how stipend and work study positions are structured and funded.
The Women’s Center, the first to benefit from the Senate’s decision, successfully transferred $900 from its leadership to its work study fund. It said that it would be able to cover the costs of the kickback. The YWCA, which transferred $494 from its leadership to its stipend fund wasn’t sure, so it will have to return to the Senate within the next two weeks and present an explanation for where the money will come from.
Finally, the senate ended the evening with nominations for senate positions. Three of the four were actually filled Wednesday as the nominees ran uncontested. Sen. Eric Bailey garnered the vice-presidency while Sen. Greg Zimel won for treasurer. Sen. Skye Tenney was elected Senate ombudsman. Next week, the Senate will decide between Sen. Watts and Sen. McLean for president.