OSPIRG, the statewide public interest research group, is returning to its roots with its recent loss of funding from Portland State and lack of support from the statewide chapter.
Last April, OSPIRG regained its status as a student group. It lost its student group status the previous October due to allegations that it was taking its funding and giving it to the national organization for legislative purposes.
All student groups are considered to be entitled to a certain amount of funding from Portland State, but because of this controversy, OSPIRG still is not funded by student fees.
“We can’t afford to be at PSU. We want to be here. We’ve been allotted money for two years, but haven’t received it,” said campus organizer Tania Kenny.
According to Kenny, OSPIRG has applied for funding from the Student Fee Committee but has not received any money. Because of this, the Portland State chapter is losing the support of the statewide organization of OSPIRG.
Without any funding from Portland State, OSPIRG has been forced to rely on grants that have been given to the statewide chapter to continue functioning. However, as it was unable to submit a budget to the SFC, OSPIRG is going to become completely volunteer driven, with no budget or funding.
The campaigns that Portland State students had been working on will no longer have the financial support of the statewide chapter—even the paid position of campus organizer will be removed from campus.
OSPIRG has been active on the Portland State Campus for more than 30 years, but has grown controversial recently as the group has fought to keep its SFC funding. To better achieve its goals, OSPIRG uses paid advocates that work with the students, but are not associated with the college.
Also, being a national organization, the goals are often set by people other than the students. Student groups are required to get their direction from the students themselves.
“We’re an organization that has student interests at heart and given the chance we will work hard to improve student life,” said Chelsea Chamberlin, a Portland State volunteer who is heading OSPIRG’s campaign to cut healthcare costs.
Working with OSPIRG on this project is Laura Etherton, who is a member of the Oregon Health Fund board and a paid advocate for OSPIRG.
OSPIRG is also working to lower textbook prices by getting teachers to sign up for an online service that provides online texts for free and to make the university buildings more ecofriendly and sustainable.
These projects will be hard pressed to continue without funding. From this point onward, OSPIRG at Portland State will be completely volunteer-driven, with no funding from Portland State or financial ties to the statewide chapter.