Committee to revisit ruling on student stipends

The Educational Stipend Review Committee will gather later this month to revisit the issue of whether or not student stipend positions at Portland State will be increased by 5 percent immediately or for the 2009-10 academic year.

Since the Student Fee Committee voted to increase individual stipend positions 5 percent across the board on Oct. 3, the decision has come into question from several members of the stipend committee, forcing the group to meet again to make a decision regarding the stipend increases Friday, Oct. 24.

At the Oct. 3 SFC meeting, the SFC heard a request from ASPSU for a cost of living monthly stipend increase for members of student government, including members of the SFC and Executive Staff. This initial request made by ASPSU is separate from the 5 percent individual stipend increases.

During the meeting, some members of the SFC voiced concerns that giving raises only to themselves this year might look biased in the eyes of other students, and the SFC agreed to approve ASPSU’s stipend increase of $47,060 provided all other student groups received a 5 percent increase as well.

The stipend committee, which includes students and faculty from across campus, met from May to July to discuss recommendations for the stipend policy. Aside discussion over the 5 percent cost of living increase to all student group stipend positions, ASPSU approached the committee with a special request to grant raises to their stipend cap for 2008-09, on the premise that the Student Senate, Judicial Board and Elections Board could then be paid.

There is confusion surrounding whether the stipend committee intended to put the 5 percent increases into effect for the 2008-09 academic year or the 2009-10 academic year, which is one of the primary reasons the stipend committee has decided to reconvene.

Michele Toppe, interim dean of students, holds that there are two different stipend policies: the Student Fee Committee stipend policy, which regulates the SFC’s abilities to allocate funds to student groups, and the student stipend policy, which covers any and all students at PSU that receive a stipend wage.

The second policy covers student workers outside of student groups, such as tutors and library assistants. Toppe said the second policy also trumps any funding allocations put forth only by the SFC–increases to student stipends must ultimately be approved by the Department of Human Resources.

Aimee Shattuck, director of Student Activities and Leadership Programs, explained the relationship between the two stipend policies.

“I could ask in my budget for $10,000 extra for my salary, and the SFC could say, ‘Yeah, we think you deserve a $10,000 increase in your salary,’ and I could say, ‘Thank you very much,’ but that doesn’t mean HR has to OK that [allocation],” Shattuck said.

ASPSU Vice-president Kyle Cady said ASPSU maintains that the decision to move the stipend increase up to this year falls well within the purview of the SFC.

“That probably is their feeling,” Shattuck said, but added, “That’s not entirely the case.”

Bridge Gorrow, coordinator of the Women’s Resource Center, said that while she does not believe that the initial policy document explicitly stated that the stipend policy review was for 2009-10 academic year, there was no reason to assume the committee had met to discuss changes that would impact 2008-09.

“This year had already been budgeted for and funded,” Gorrow said. “I would assume that we were discussing the following year’s budget.”

The Educational Stipend Review Committee met 12 times between May and July of this year to discuss the 2009-10 academic year budget. On Oct. 24, they will meet again to settle the matter of whether or not SFC-funded student stipends will receive a 5 percent cost of living increase this year or next. Who are the people behind this decision?

Aimeera Flint – SFC ChairKristin Smith – Human Resources Payroll Operations SupervisorAimee Shattuck – SALP DirectorHannah Fisher – ASPSU PresidentKyle Cady – ASPSU Vice-presidentSaori Clark – Interim Assistant Dean of StudentsBrandy Coleman – Dean of Students officeBridge Gorrow – Women’s Resource Center CoordinatorNathan Hellman – Editor-in-Chief of the VanguardJud Randall – Student Publications adviserJordan Bermingham – Campus Rec Outdoor Program Coordinator