After an entire year of scandals and alleged misappropriations of our tuition dollars, the Student Association is finally taking a step in the right direction to rectify an ugly situation. The SA is largely a reactive organization, so it is refreshing to see Sen. Asher Corson’s (CCAS-U) initiative to introduce a comprehensive ethics package, a seriously needed SA reform. However, much more needs to be done.
Since the SA refuses to proactively solve the problems it knows it has, problem solving will be left to us, the students. Unfortunately, this was precipitated by “transactions for miscellaneous expenses” that never happened. What happened to our money?
At the end of February, the SA will ask students to vote on a referendum approving an immediate 100 percent increase of the SA fee. This would effectively swell the SA budget to nearly $1 million next year alone, and to a much higher figure further down the road.
I agree that the SA fee should be raised, and a $1 increase would not hurt the pockets of the students. Speaking as a student organization president, the funds are desperately needed. However, there are many problems here. Most important is the fundamentally flawed allocations process itself. The fairness and openness of the process is a serious issue, as is the ability of the current system to adapt in order to account for a potential 100 percent increase. How unfortunate it is that we cannot trust the SA enough to do so. We find ourselves in a conundrum that no one in the SA seems to be willing or able to fix.
As a current student organization president and former SA senator, I have some possible solutions to the problems that can fix the allocation process and make transparent how the SA accounts for its money. For one, the SA should create a semi-autonomous allocations board consisting of elected students and SA officials. Instead of a group of five senators deciding how to allocate well over a quarter of a million dollars, much more deliberation and time can be taken to address the allocations process that involves more student voices and minds.
Second, the creation of an auditor general – or, at the least, financial oversight by the University’s internal audit department – would help to ensure that our tuition dollars are not only being spent wisely, but are also being accounted for appropriately. Public reports in The Hatchet would serve students well, letting us know if our money is being spent economically.
Lastly, student organizations should be categorized in accordance to membership and longevity. There are many organizations with longevity and large memberships; however, their budgets year to year do not reflect the commitment they have provided the University. Additionally, classifying student organizations under an “umbrella field” – political, cultural, etc. – may be helpful in assessing how much funding goes to a particular field.
Student organizations are working hard every day, trying to make this University a better place to live and learn. The fee increase would empower student organizations and would greatly increase the quantity and quality of programs. Additionally, with the increase, the SA itself could potentially fund projects that could add to the fabric of GW student and academic life. The SA would be able to sponsor programs that could greatly contribute to increasing GW spirit and address direct student needs, not simply policy changes. Nevertheless, can we allow a government of the students, by the students and for the students to have control of close to $1 million if it cannot even account for it properly now? The very least the SA owes students is an attempt to solve our problems.
–The writer, a junior majoring in International Affairs and Public Policy, is a former SA senator and current Black Student Union president.
