At the beginning of the year, Student Body President Hannah Fisher and Student Fee Committee Chair Aimeera Flint commissioned a special task force to “investigate and provide solutions” to SALP’s apparent problems with inconsistencies in dealing with both student groups and the university.
The present ASPSU administration campaigned on a platform that promised overhaul on the Student Activities and Leadership Program (SALP) operational processes.
On Feb. 19, the task force, consisting of both student volunteers and appointees, released its findings. The seven-page report, detailing both the current problems with the system and suggestions for fixing it, was put before the SALP Advisory Board last Monday.
Fisher said that although the motion was made to accept the report, she felt that “the board needed more time to review the report before voting,” and thus rescinded the motion to accept it.
One of the main problems outlined by the report is “clarity,” Fisher said.
“Many of the concerns we heard were based around indistinct structural roles and a lack of communication,” she said.
According to the group’s report, interviews with both student groups and advisors led to the determination that one of the main reasons for SALP’s viewed inconsistencies and instabilities is that advisors have unclear roles within student groups, and this can often lead to a breakdown in communications.
Students interviewed by the task force stated that advisors can be difficult to work with, hard to get a hold of and often generally unhelpful. Students also reported that policies are often unclear and that leadership conferences are “inadequate and inefficient.”
Advisors expressed similar thoughts, reporting that their role within groups was often ambiguous, their workload seemed to be mostly administrative and that they were “first in line for blame.”
After realizing that changes had to be made to fix the system currently in place, the task force made several recommendations, with the stated goal of “[stabilizing] SALP and [clarifying] its relationship to student groups.”
Foremost among these recommendations is the creation of four new positions within SALP: assistant director, events and planning advisor, student advocate and policy advisor.
Additionally, the report suggests “two graduate assistant positions be provided to the advisors to support them as necessary.”
The task force also encouraged SALP to increase its administrative and accounting staff. This suggestion stemmed from the common complaint that student group paperwork can be obscure and overwhelming.
Perhaps the most far-reaching of the findings was the suggestion that the Advisory Board of SALP be paid a stipend in order to ensure a strong membership. Additionally, it suggested that the board become a liaison to student groups in order to “actively solicit feedback” from students about the efficacy of SALP.
Fisher is happy with the findings.
“I was surprised that the SALP advisors and students were almost completely in agreement regarding the problems,” she said. “[During interviews] students took the process a step further and made numerous tangible recommendations.”
She explained that many of the recommendations, if approved, could be put into place immediately.
“It is up to the Advisory Board to approve the recommendations and then submit them to the Student Fee Committee to enforce,” she said.
Once that is done, she believes the recommendations will be enacted.
“I do not foresee any future ASPSU administrations attempting to derail a process that is so clearly reflective of student organization wants and needs,” she said.
The task force consisted of Yata Doe, Tanja Milvijec, Dalton Higgenbottom, Ryland Stucke and Sean Raines.