Some PSU student groups and the Student Fee Committee (SFC) havehad problematic relationships, particularly in the case ofOSPIRG.
In February, the SFC rejected OSPIRG’s 2004-2005 funding requestof $106,000, allotting them only $33,765.
Now, a move by the SFC has OSPIRG and other student groupsfrustrated with SFC operations.
While making minor changes to SFC Guidelines and Procedures toadjust to a revised constitution, the SFC added a new policy forstudent groups’ allotted budget spending.
The new membership dues policy requires that the net dues ofprograms not exceed 50 percent of their allotted budget.
The changes have yet to be finalized by the student senate andthen university President Daniel Bernstine.
SFC Chairwoman Tracy Earll says this new 50 percent policy willmake sure that programs affiliated with outside organizationscontinue to exist on campus.
Some students involved in programs question the addition of thispolicy because it would not currently apply to any programs thatgive over half of their net dues to outside organizations.
Kit Douglass, OSPIRG Campus Organizer, says the SFC controlsalmost $7 million, therefore they have to be held accountable forthe decisions they make. Some student groups have expressedconcerns over how those decisions are made.
The SFC meeting at which this policy was adopted into theGuidelines and Revisions took place the same time as the SALPleadership awards, preventing some students from attending the SFCmeeting and voicing their concerns over the policy.
Earll says the timing was a coincidence since the SFC meetingtimes had been announced before the term started.
So why put in a policy that doesn’t affect anyone?
Its introduction into the SFC’s Guidelines and Procedures ispart of an overall streamlining of constitutional practices andrules that are being revised and edited to present a moreefficient, “by the book,” student senate.
“We’re concerned that student groups would be created to fund anoutside organization,” Earll said.
She added that student groups shouldn’t be concerned because thepolicy does not limit how programs spend their funds, it onlylimits a program from spending more then 50 percent in membershipdues.
“If you do, your focus doesn’t seem to be PSU anymore,” Earllsaid.
The SFC’s Guidelines and Procedures can be viewed athttp://aspsu.pdx.edu