Ever since its first meeting this year, the ASUO Student Senate has been wrestling over the issue of allowing student groups to transfer money budgeted for stipends into work study accounts.
And during Wednesday’s 50-minute meeting, the issue reared its head once again.Debate over work study transfers began when a student group asked that the pay for one of its employees be pulled from the leadership account, which contains stipend funds for positions, and placed into the group’s work study account.
In doing this, students who are eligible for work study can benefit from the federal program.
After much discussion, the Senate decided to allow transfers from leadership to work study on a case-by-case basis — including a stipulation that groups must show Senate how they will cover a three-percent kickback due at the end of the year.
The practice of turning stipend positions into work study positions, however, hasn’t quite cleared the hurdles, and the legality of the entire process was briefly questioned Wednesday night.
Sen. President Peter Watts said he has received calls from administrators, and as a result, plans to investigate the questions further.
Postponing discussion until he has found out more, Watts did say that there are “some possible legal issues.”
Even so, the Senate was unable to avoid the issue entirely as it faced special requests dealing directly with work study transfers.
Both the Young Women’s Christian Association and the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Alliance — each of which received approval to transfer money from leadership to work study in the first two Senate meetings — explained how each would pay the kickback.
LGBTA will take the $41 out of the events coordinator fund, because the group does not have an events coordinator.
“I love it,” Sen. Greg Zimel said. “I’m glad that programs want to become more fiscally responsible.”
YWCA will cover its $89 kickback with funds from both office supplies and conference accounts.
In a flip situation, Senate transferred $1,170 out of a work study account so that two students with the Coalition Against Environmental Racism may be paid for their work.
CAER will host a conference in January, but the co-director positions originally created for work study students are now being held by students who are not eligible for work study.
One of the co-directors, Glen Banfield, said that he and the other co-director would like to get paid for the work they will be doing for the CAER conference. Senate approved the transfer, and the money will be distributed to the directors hourly while they are working on the event.
Finally, Senate granted Outlaws — a group that represents gay, lesbian, transgender and bisexual law students — its special request of $576 for lodging and parking during a conference the group will attend in November.