Spring Break
Union proposes constitution changes
News | 4/8/08
Posted online at 5:12 AM EST on 4/8/08
Student Union officials have been working with the administration and the board of trustees to implement changes to several finance-related sections of the Union Constitution.
Union Treasurer Choon Woo Ha '08 said the Union ways and means committee primarily writes the proposed changes to the constitution, but that anyone in the student body can give the committee an idea.
Treasurer Amendment
Ha said that an amendment will pass in the Senate to create the position of interim treasurer in the event that the treasurer resigns. He said there have been treasurers in the past who resigned because the job was overwhelming and they were "burned out."
The bylaw to the amendment provides the process of appointing an interim treasurer.
He said the Senate has to pass this bylaw and the chance of this happening "looks positive."
Article 7, Section 1
Currently, the Student Activities Fee should consist of the Union Activities Fee, which is equal to 1 percent of University tuition, and the Student Government Administrative Fee.
The proposed change states that during the 2008 to 2009 academic year the Union Activities Fee will remain the same amount as it was during the 2007 to 2008 academic year. The change also states that after this time the fee shall "increase at a rate equal to the rise in the Consumer Price Index." The fee typically rises at the rate of the tuition increase per year.
The board of trustees approved this change, according to last Sunday's Senate meeting.
Ha said that the clause about the CPI will not be included in the actual changes to the constitution, but that raising the fee at the rate of the CPI must be considered, because this is a better determinant of the price of products and makes more sense in terms of purchasing power for clubs.
"We need SAF to stop growing to reach the 1 to 1 ratio [of amount of money available to amount spent]," Union Advocate Brian Paternostro '08 said.
Union Treasurer Choon Woo Ha '08 said the Union ways and means committee primarily writes the proposed changes to the constitution, but that anyone in the student body can give the committee an idea.
Treasurer Amendment
Ha said that an amendment will pass in the Senate to create the position of interim treasurer in the event that the treasurer resigns. He said there have been treasurers in the past who resigned because the job was overwhelming and they were "burned out."
The bylaw to the amendment provides the process of appointing an interim treasurer.
He said the Senate has to pass this bylaw and the chance of this happening "looks positive."
Article 7, Section 1
Currently, the Student Activities Fee should consist of the Union Activities Fee, which is equal to 1 percent of University tuition, and the Student Government Administrative Fee.
The proposed change states that during the 2008 to 2009 academic year the Union Activities Fee will remain the same amount as it was during the 2007 to 2008 academic year. The change also states that after this time the fee shall "increase at a rate equal to the rise in the Consumer Price Index." The fee typically rises at the rate of the tuition increase per year.
The board of trustees approved this change, according to last Sunday's Senate meeting.
Ha said that the clause about the CPI will not be included in the actual changes to the constitution, but that raising the fee at the rate of the CPI must be considered, because this is a better determinant of the price of products and makes more sense in terms of purchasing power for clubs.
"We need SAF to stop growing to reach the 1 to 1 ratio [of amount of money available to amount spent]," Union Advocate Brian Paternostro '08 said.
Be the first to comment on this story