OSA to debate Soto’s proposal

The Oregon Student Association will decide tonight whether to implement ASPSU’s proposal that would create a new board within OSA and would alter the internal structure of the organization.

The new board, called the General Assembly, would be separate from OSA’s only current board, the Board of Directors. The General Assembly would have the power to elect officers to the OSA Board of Directors, determine annual membership dues and choose 10 lobbying issues for OSA, which would be narrowed down to three by the Board of Directors.

Nine schools, including six of the seven in the Oregon University System, pay fees to OSA.

For every 2,500 full-time students at an OSA school, the school would get one vote on the General Assembly. Portland State would get five votes, University of Oregon would get six votes and Oregon State University would get seven votes. Every other school would get one vote. Currently, schools have an equal voice, with two votes each on the Board of Directors.

On Jan. 17 the Student Fee Committee placed over $100,000 in funds that would have gone to OSA in a reserve fund, where the money will sit unless OSA agrees to the proposal. Some OSA members, including Chair Emily McClain, met this decision with scorn.

With the OSA decision nearing, here is a look at the three main changes the proposal would make to OSA.

Choosing the top 10 legislative lobbying issues

Each summer OSA invites any number of students to attend a retreat where they pick the 10 issues they want to lobby for during legislative sessions. OSA then polls students at every school to find out which issues most interest them. The Board of Directors then chooses the top three issues to lobby.

With the proposal, there will still be a summer retreat, but the General Assembly would pick the top 10 issues to survey students about. After surveying, the Board of Directors would still narrow the top 10 issues down to three.

Setting annual membership dues

Under the proposal, the General Assembly would have the power to set annual dues that students pay to fund OSA. Currently, the Board of Directors sets the annual dues. Students pay about $1.28 in fees each term to help pay the professionals that lobby student-related issues to the Oregon legislature.

Electing officers to the OSA Board of Directors

The General Assembly would also have the power to elect the officers of the OSA Board of Directors. Each school gets two seats on the Board of Directors. Currently, the board elects officers, such as the chair and vice-chair. The General Assembly would change that process by electing the officers on the board.