More paid positions are slated for student groups whose payrolls were recently slashed after the ASUO Student Senate on Wednesday authorized reinstating some pay using $60,500 in over-realized funds.
Senators said they hope the move will aid groups and prevent drastic fee increases, but the decision to use the funds must now gain approval from the ASUO Executive and University President Dave Frohnmayer.
Many leaders received cuts this year when the Programs Finance Committee revised the pay model, upsetting cultural group members who said pay decreases unfairly affect low-income students and students of color. The decision, one of four repayment options presented to the Senate last week, replaces all cut positions at $125 each.
ASUO Vice President Mena Ravassipour said the Executive favors the $60,500 option because a $94,600 possibility would be a “backdoor” around the PFC budget process. She said groups could still come to the Senate to request additional pay.
Multicultural Center spokesman Kit Myers presented a petition that circulated among groups in favor of a different option that would have refunded all cut money at a cost of about $94,600. He said 115 people from about 10 student groups signed the petition.
Myers said the option the Senate approved is unfair because it causes group leaders to receive equal pay without necessarily doing equal work.
Senators agreed the model still needs work.
“It’s still going to be a problem down the road,” Senator Nick Hudson said.
Senator Michael Sherman said student government members and campus radio station KWVA employees’ pay makes up most of the difference between the repayment options.
He said there would be a “pretty small difference for the rest of the groups,” and it would have the best chance of gaining Frohnmayer’s approval.
Senate President James George said he didn’t know Frohnmayer’s timeline for ruling on the use of the funds.

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