Hope all is well with everyone.
What's your take on ASWSUV's budget? Is it too inflated? Is it being spent wisely?
What about Barbies? Detrimental or helpful? Do you think the event that had people restructure Barbies to be more realistic had merit?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
29 comments:
Higher tuition for a piece of soon to be outdated hardware. I think I'll stick with my desktop and keep the 2-3k in my pocket so I can pay for electricity, food water, clothes, those pesky little things that take priority for me over a fancy little computer that I can shove in my bag and break. Also we will be able to get macs instead of pc's, right? Add to the cost of the laptops the resources it would take to track and maintain all the returned laptops, and to relentlessly pursue those that don't return them, and we can expect a significant increase in cost. Maybe we can get barnes and nobles to do that also and give us that FANTASTIC discount they already offer us on books with laptops also. Frankly some people don't have laptops, and don't want them. For those that do let them make the choice of what and when they want to buy.
The school needs to add more plugs in the classroom before they encourage more laptops. As far as the budget I'd like to see more events on a regular basis, and a pay cut.
I'd rather have cheaper cafeteria prices than a laptop. Right now it would be nice if we had more open lab area in MMC. It's too small for the peak times. I think the provided computers are enough, and personal laptops aren't a necessary expenditure.
I think that we all should take a good look at the budget that ASWSUV has. Does everyone know how much the president is paid every year? Does everyone know what the senators make in a year?Do we know what we paid to send 15 students to San Juan (Puerto Rico I assume) for under $100 per person?
The best benefit that I get from ASWSUV is subsidized printing - it is amazingly cheap when I think that I paid $.05 per page when I was in school in 1985. ASWSUV needs to recognize the diversity of the students on campus and offer services that will benefit the students. Some examples might be drop off emergency daycare for working parents or another computer lounge.
Pizza feeds and luaus are nice, but I am not sure that they actually benefit enough of the students or provide any real benefit, period. Laptop computers should be provided by the university, not by student fees.
Listen,
The trip to San Juan was not the one in Peurto Rico (silly Ellen), it was the San Juan in Washingon State (you might have heard of either of those). To find out how much that trip cost (and what it included), go ask Robert Cox in the Student Development office or the ASWSUV President which is Casey Waters.
The President and Vice-President receive $14,000 per year (which runs from graduation to graduation) and the senators get $200 per term. The President and Vice-President are required to put in 20 hours a week, which equates to about $10/hr. The senators are required to have two office hours per week.
As for the printing and laptop, well those are crazy ways to spend student fees. This is a commuter campus where the average age is 32. Most reasonable people will assume that since they are going to college in the information age and the internet is a widely-used resource, they should probably already have a computer. With the school or student government buying computers for incoming students, the prices that the incoming students (or us current student) would pay in tuition or student fees would go up dramatically.
As for the printing fees - charge me the whole cost of printing in the computer labs. I don't want to subsidize other students for their printing. I also don't want other students subsidizing my computer lab printing. Remember, this is college in the information age. A computer and printer of your own are not optional, but please don't make me subsidize other person's printing costs.
And while I'm at it, I don't want to subsidize childcare. If you have a child, be responsible for him/her. I'm not your child's godparent and I don't want to pay for their care so you can more easily get an education. I know childcare is important (if you have a child), but transportation is also important. Let's make a deal, I'll agree to chip in part of my student fees to pay for subsidized childcare here at WSUV, if some of your student fees go to subsidize my car payment. Parents (single or otherwise) might have had bad luck or been irresponsible to have ended up with a child while they try to go to college, so why should I, as their fellow student, be made to pay for their irresponsibility or bad luck? If you have a child, then childcare should be part of the equation when you estimate what the cost of college is for you. Children probably are important to their parents, but if they brought them into the world, they should pay for them (and not pawn their childcare off on me).
The money is there to be spent, fiscal conservatism should not be the goal of the student government.
If you have better ways to spend the money I'd like to see them, as opposed to bashing what we are doing now. I understand you don't agree and I respect your opinion, but I'd like to see where you want the money to go.
Well, the if VanCougar is whining about getting a measly $34,000 in comparison to the ginormous ASWSUV budget, so why not fork it all over to them? They purport to know more than student government anyway. If they think they can manage it better, then perhaps they should give it a try. That way, every there could be a Mac for every Minority. Or maybe they could raise more funds with that bake sale idea someone mentioned. I personally have no problems with my money subsidizing programs and services that benefit other students. I have no problem with everyone else's money subsidizing my education. (That is, the good taxpayers of the state of Washington.) Honestly, I have to laugh out loud when I hear some people's ideas on the (mis)use of public funds on our campus. Half of the candidates in the recent election had no clue where money comes from, where it is spent, the laws and guidelines as to how it may be spent, and the processes for spending.
I agree (for once) with the VanCougar's interest in the ASWSUV budget. I hear people talk about using money to fund the parking lots that we pay for. I hear people talk about subsidized child care. I hear people talk about printing and fitness equipment and ski trips and pizza feeds. No one has truly offered a better altenative to what we have. Only concrete ideas that won't solve abstract problems. I would say that none of them really have a clue when it comes to budgets. Even the interim senate could use a class on Public Budgeting (taught in the summer, I might add...).
I have to apply what Ronald Reagan said to the current budget situation at WSU Vancouver. Don't look to government to solve your problems, government is the problem (yes, Reagan said that). If we all feel like ASWSUV has a budget that's too large, then why did we all give them our money in the first place? True, it takes some money to fund the classes, programs, etc. that we have, but we shouldn't have to pay more than we need to for our education. That's money I could use for 1001 other things. Next year: Don't Charge As Much! I know that is a lot more complicated than it sounds, but maybe our Dir. of Legislative affiars can make herself useful and coordinate the effort with the state legislature. Just a thought.
I'm going to have to agree with most of the previous statement.
Nathan, you need some more experience before you start "deciding" how money should be spent.
Student Gov. has to appeal for the money from the S&A Fees committee. These meetings are open forums. How come nobody ever attends? How come people don't attend senate meetings?
Student Government is very limited in what they can do. The cafeteria is it's own entity. Daycare center? Student Gov. can't fund that or staff that. Can you even imagine the liability? Laptops are available for use from the library. Check it out.
There is virtually nothing that can be done to reach all students. That's why there is a range of things in hopes to attract a diversity of students. The problem here is not the Student Government. The problem is the nature of our campus. Being a commuter campus makes us naturally dispersed and somewhat apathetic.
A lot of people like to criticize and critique ASWSUV Student Gov. Yet this last election I only saw 12 people running for senate and 5 parties running for the pres/VP ticket and less than 300 people voted. To add, Casey has had a difficult time this year staffing positions within Stu. Gov. both paid and volunteer. Hmmm, I wonder why that is? There are so many people talking about them, you'd think there would be more people signing up to get involved and have their say in what happens.
Do people even know who their senators are? Senate is the place where these trips and whatnot get funded. How come students aren't lobbying their senators if they don't like what's happening.
Come on people. GET INVOLVED! Stop complaining and criticizing and do something about it!
I agree that we pay to much in student fees (about $220 per semester, give or take $5). As a commuter campus, I don't believe we should be paying as much as Pullman students. I think that paying $100 is fine (let's do the math on that, shall we? $100 multiplied by 1900 students is $190,000 - which should be enough for student government). As for the rest, well, refund $120 per student for full time students (because it's our money to begin with) and eliminate student fees for graduate students because most (except for those in the Public Affairs Masters program who just want to live off other people's taxes anyway) are too busy with work/family/school to participate in any campus activities.
Not all of S&A fees go to student government.
Regarding the entry before "Not all of S&A fees go to student government."
In this last senate, there were 2, and 1 still remaining, (Phil graduated) who were engineering graduate students who have been very active in student government and student activities.
-Brandy
If not all S&A fees go to student government, and they probably don't since the number quoted in the VanCoug is $265,000 and if 1900 Full Time Equivalent students pay $220 per semester in fees (which would be $418,00 per semester or $836,000 per year). Where does the rest of my student fees go and why can't anyone in the financial aid office give me a financial breakdown of where MY (as a WSUV student) fees go? Do fees go up arbitrarily when tuition raises, or is there a different set of mechanisms to raise the fees?
This next comment will be off topic, but why, when someone over in Pullman wants to change part of the student conduct code, do they put an ad in the VanCoug? As commuter students in Vancouver, if Pullman wants us to follow the same student conduct guidelines as those in Pullman, then they should have hearings in Vancouver (that only a handful of people in student government will go to) and at the other campuses as well. The conduct guidelines for WSUV should be different from those guidelines in Pullman. It just makes sense. The average age of WSUV COMMUTER students is 32, while the average age of an ON-CAMPUS undergrad in Pullman is closer to 20 or 21. That is a huge difference in maturity of the average student.
Also, why does Pullman have graduation the Saturday of finals week, while we have to have it the next Saturday (or as some of us call it, the first Saturday of Summer session)?
Part of S&A fees go to the Vancougar.
I'd love to see the S&A budget publiched in the Vancougar, it would clear up a lot of confusion and set the record straight for everyone. I assume it would be allowed to be public knowledge because it is state money.
So here is a list of the stuff that the VanCouagr article by Brian Schlosser forgot to mention. All of these items were funded from the ASWSUV budget because of requests from students and staff. It would be great if this list was twice as long, but that is up to the students of this campus.
Lift tickets
Honors lecture and film
Anthropology lectures
Ski trips (Lake Tahoe and Mt. Batchlor)
Ken Oak Band concert
CougVision equipment
Graduate School workshop and open house for the Minorities Reconstructing Culture Club
Open house pizza feed
Viewing of the movie Crash
Gratuities for career fair panel members
Performance by Judson Laipply
Performance Ballentine (Canceled due to lack of sound equipment)
Lecture by Riki Ott, PhD (Canceled due to contract problems)
Performance by Tyrone Wells (Canceled due to lack of sound equipment)
Performance by Tom DeLuca
CougDay at the capital - Hotel/Transportation/Fees
Supported 30 Students to the 1st Annual Multicultural Student Summit in Pullman sponsored by the Minorities Reconstructing Culture Club
Harlem Globe Trotters tickets (Event was sold out before tickets could be purchased)
White water rafting trip
T-shirts for the SME / ASME fun run
Open House Event for Cougars for the Cures
Dodgeball tournament, dunk tank and pizza feed in conjunction with Cougar Pride Day
Lecture by Jerry Levin
Performance of “Merry Wives of Windsor” by the Portland Actors Ensemble - August Event
Gratuities for mock interview panel conducted by human resource professionals - Student Business Organization
Gratuities for alumni panel speaking about there transition to their career - Student Business Organization
Salaries for instumentalists to perform “Mozart and Friends Celebrate his Birthday” with the Washington State University Vancouver Community Choir
The Student government does alot more than people realize. It would be great if everyone would stop complaining and actully try to get involved in the many activities this campus offers. Also, I don't know if people just have not seen them (or they don't want because they like to complain) but there are boxes around campus with information on how to get funding to have more events on campus, form clubs, etc.
And, all the S&A Fee and Facilities meetings are open forums. Anyone can attend if they would like to see exactly what happens and whatnot.
-Brandy
Just to clarify-
My column wasn't an article. It was an opinion piece. If I was to do an article things would have been much worse...
The budget will be printed in the next issue of The VanCougar.
Also,
I didn't "forget to mention" The list of things that ASWSUV funds. I wasn't critiquing everything that S & A fees pay for. Here's the rub that ASWSUV seems to be eternally missing, even when it is spelled out for them.
Ken Oak band-- I think there were five people in attendance? And those funds were asked for by a club. Don't act like it was something ASWSUV suggested.
Also, most of the things on that list are mis-guided, which is that "eternal" misunderstanding I'm speaking about.
This is a commuter campus. Realize it and quit wasting my money on crap that doesn't pertain. Let's see, the average age, as mentioned before, of students on this campus is 32. That means kids and jobs, ASWSUV. That means that when I have a choice between going home after a long day of school and spending time with my family or staying to watch some hypnostist, I'm going home.
However, it would be nice if the money for the all-amazing line-up of pizza and crappy off the strip vegas entertainnment went to something useful, like paying for all--not part-- of my printing costs. That way my kids might be able to have a little more peanut butter on their sandwiches.
Look,
I hate to sound like a constant complainer. I know how hard it is to suffer criticism as an organization such as ASWSUV, but there comes a time when you have to listen to what the majority is saying. Myself, and many others I have spoken with, could care less about half the crap ASWSUV funds. I understand about trying to build a campus identity and community, but the fact is that this isn't going to be done by having a burrito bar. That might work in other instances, but it doesn't work here.
So, instead of beating a very dead horse, move on. Find the things that are going to bring a campus identity. Find the things that people want to be involved in. My instincts tell me that if you want more people involved, they have to be interested in what you're doing.
Innovation, innovation, innovation.
Here's my opinion of your list:
Lift tickets- decent idea.
Honors lecture and film- great idea, wasn't yours, though.
Anthropology lectures- decent idea, wasn't yours, though.
Ski trips (Lake Tahoe and Mt. Batchlor)-decent, but how many people out of the student body is it benefiting?
Ken Oak Band concert-crap. Good thing it wasn't your idea, huh?
CougVision equipment-crap. Who the hell even looks at that thing? Here's an idea... run episodes of CSI or Gilligan's island in between your self-ego-massaging ads. People might take you seriously.
Graduate School workshop and open house for the Minorities Reconstructing Culture Club- great idea. Wasn't yours though.
Open house pizza feed- Christ on a crutch. It isn't feed. It's feeds. In fact, there should be a new term for this. Something like: Billionth-pizza-feed-where people-hoped-they-could-get-free food-without-being-accosted-tremendous-waste-of-money-a-thon-because-we-needed-to-do-something.
Viewing of the movie Crash Holy crap, people. It never happened, and again, great idea, but it wasn't yours.
Gratuities for career fair panel members- Awesome idea, especially because to not do so could be illegal.
Performance by Judson Laipply- Who?
Performance Ballentine (Canceled due to lack of sound equipment). Oh boy, there's an even better idea. List something to make the list seem longer, but didn't actually happen.
Lecture by Riki Ott, PhD (Canceled due to contract problems)Same as above. The fact that you did it twice is even more repulsive.
Performance by Tyrone Wells (Canceled due to lack of sound equipment)Three times. Go to jail.
Performance by Tom DeLuca- Decent idea, but my 13th birthday was like more than ten years ago.
CougDay at the capital Hotel/Transportation/Fees- Awesome idea. Seriously. Again, I don't think you started this one.
Supported 30 Students to the 1st Annual Multicultural Student Summit in Pullman sponsored by the Minorities Reconstructing Culture Club- great idea, was it yours?
Harlem Globe Trotters tickets (Event was sold out before tickets could be purchased)So, were they purchased? I don't think so. I would personally love to see some death-defying basketball antics instead of not having to pay for print.
White water rafting trip- good idea.
T-shirts for the SME / ASME fun run- good idea. Now you're thinking.
Open House Event for Cougars for the Cures- Good idea. Was it yours?
Dodgeball tournament, dunk tank and pizza feed in conjunction with Cougar Pride Day- Good idea. However, who wants to spend a day cleaning the campus when we pay to have that done?
Lecture by Jerry Levin- good idea. Was it yours?
Performance of “Merry Wives of Windsor” by the Portland Actors Ensemble - August Event- We'll see if this happens. It may be canceled due to tornado. I think it is very special that you're having this amazing event in August when most people aren't even in school.
Gratuities for mock interview panel conducted by human resource professionals - Student Business Organization- That's the stuff right there. Again, was it your idea?
Gratuities for alumni panel speaking about there transition to their career - Student Business Organization- Ditto.
Salaries for instumentalists to perform “Mozart and Friends Celebrate his Birthday” with the Washington State University Vancouver Community Choir-
Okay. On this one, I have to say that the choir guy I know and like. However, ever heard of a fund raiser? I like Mozart just as much as the next guy, but how many people are going to come to this?
So, I'll end by saying that there is no such thing as a quitter who keeps trying. Which one are you?
Thank you for bringing reality to the assinine list provided by some pissed off ASWSUV member. I think whoever wrote that thinks those of us on campus have no idea what is going on as far as events are concerned. Then again most of us probably don't because all of the "events" here are completely meaningless if they even happen, and most of us are too busy doing other things to attend out of guilt. Nice try assnonymous.
Hey editorial staff-
Why are you bashing the programs run by the clubs? I would assume that when students request funds for a program it is something they would like to see happen.
So what would the Vancougar spend the ASWSUV budget on? A daily newspaper? Free printing? I didn't hear any solid ideas among your complaining.
Put your efforts toward doing something more constructive like publishing what the students of told you is needed on this campus.
I'm not bashing clubs. I'm bashing the fact that ASWSUV didn't come up with the ideas, but tries to take credit for them.
Clubs events are great, but they should be engineered towards the student body.
I'll admit I was harsh on the Ken Oak Band.
As far as suggestions for what the money should be spent on, here's a list.
A Student Commons Center that's not a done over bookie.
A library that's open enough and has enough books.
Bigger, better programs.
Bigger, better clubs.
Bigger, better facilties.
Here's an idea. How about sponsoring some seminars on jobs, acadmeics, inspirational speakers, how to utilize community resources and give back as well.
How about daycare?
How about subsidizing parking costs?
Bigger, better computer labs with updated equipment.
Seminars on how to use basic softwware programs.
Tutors for all subjects.
Discounts to bookstores in the area.
Community outreach to the needy.
Sponsoring research symposiums
A bigger cafeteria.
And that's literally off the top of my head. And finally, HOW ABOUT ASWSUV DOES THIS THEMSELVES? DON'T THEY GET PAID FOR THAT?
Sounds like you are little bitter about your salary not the programmming provided by ASWSUV
Do you work at the Vancougar for free? How much does your staff make? Why don't you publish it in the paper?
And what of this position that Casey is creating for himself and his buddy?
I think that it's sad that the only people defending the use of ASWSUV funding, and bashing the Vancoug, are obviously part of the ASWSUV. It seems like they just want to spend money and not be questioned on how they spend it.
What are they teaching these days to the geeks in the Public Affairs program? How to secure a public position for yourself after you're elected position ends? A $70,000 position for Casey and a friend - you've got to be kidding. I wouldn't pay him $.70 for doing anything in remotely related to student government.
Maybe if you'd been to the S&A meetings this week, you'd know more. I still think the VanCougar could use that affirmative-action bake sale to raise some money.
I was wondering if students knew that senate meetings are open to everyone and they are welcome to ask questions during the meeting.
Every expenditure for the student events pool is discussed publicly (i.e. the list provided above the was bashed by the editorial staff). You are right that most of these ideas are not created by ASWSUV. ASWSUV provides the funding and the paper work for these events to happen. As a senator I personally don't want credit for the activities. Give credit to the clubs for taking the initiative to take their own college experience beyond the classroom.
Why should ASWSUV make clubs "engineer" there activities to the mean demographic of this campus? There are students who don't fit that demographic pigeon hole. It really comes down to no one single "crappy off the strip vegas entertainnment (Thanks editorial staff)" is going to make every population on this campus happy, including "editorial staff."
Take the printing issue for instance. One side says I don't want to pay to print and the other side says I don't want to pay for anybody's (including the public) printing except my own. And now there is another player in the game the Clark college students. They pay S&A Fees to WSU for classes on this campus. Their building system is fixed at $0.05 a page. The WSUV printing system will go up if the senate does not help out. So which side do we choose? Take on the additional burden and go free printing? Don't do anything? Another system has been discussed by the senate. Which would be to not subsidize the printing system, but provide all S&A Fee paying students (Clark & WSUV) with pre-paid print cards with say a $10 credit. I suppose this system would put an additional burden on the Clark facilities. So which side wins? Neither.
Senator
Brian Ellingwood
I like my fat ass, thank you. By the way, look into the rules. There are restrictions on what I can do while filling this postion.
As far as the S&A fees committee that I'm not putting any blame on, take a look at who is on the committee.
Also, about printing our budget and wages in the VanCougar...
Why? Let's see, I wonder how that would go over... Here students, we're doing a story on ourselves. Right.
We have done the fact checking. Otherwise people wouldn't be so mad and "anonymous."
Our budget is 34,500 for this year. The Managing Editor position makes $6000 for an entire year. Assistant Managing Editor, $4,500.
Staff Writers: $8.32 an hour 4.75 hours a week.
Freelance writers- $28 per issue 1 story an issue.
Copy editor $1,344 a year to copy edit 15 issues.
Photographers- $10 a color photo, $5 a black and white photo.
There you have it as far as wages. It costs us roughly $750 an issue in printing costs alone. There are also office supplies, phone charges, etc.
Here's the funny thing. We just asked for approval for a new budget too. We cut our wages and asked for more money to print more pages. Among the people we were asking was ASWSUV. Figure that out.
I'll end by saying this:
There has been quite a bit of pointing fingers on this blog. I think that's great.
However, criticizing someone for pointing out issues that they think need to be addressed by saying that they should step into that role and fix them seems a bit foolish.
I don't need to be president in order to say he has done something wrong. I feel the effects of his decisions.
I don't need to be a doctor to know I need a surgery, and I certainly wouldn't perform it.
We don't need to be a member of ASWSUV to know that things aren't being properly attended to. We're journalists.
Mr. Ellingwood, I admire your efforts at getting people to come to the senate meetings. Maybe they'll be scheduled at a decent time that takes into account that this is a commuter campus next year. 8:40 is when I'm reading my kids a bed time story.
Good luck all. May the battle continue. Remember, criticism is good if you know how to take it. Hopefully a new student government will be able to recognize that helthy change in this situation requires separating the personal from the political.
For the record, Nathan, the library may have had one person in it. That doesn't mean that people won't use it more at other times it's not open. As for more books, you make a great point. However, it would be nice to come in and check out a piece of fiction sometime.
I'd check out Kerouac.
One must also keep in mind that Senators are also students--they have schedules that they have to keep too. True it is a job (a job that pays $0.34 per hour), but for me being a student is a job too. A full time job. One that I'm paying a lot for. Yes, it will pay large dividends in the end, but I take it as seriously as I take my job. There may not be a convenient time for all or even most Senators to meet together in numbers large enough to make a quarum. There is no Senate meeting without Senators.
I believe the position Casey is promoting is the new student government for graduate students. I remember hearing about that in a conversation at the office.
It seems like a good enough idea. I don't really know enough graduate students to assess their wants and needs, but I don't really see any problem with it.
Post a Comment