Student Senate hopes to up RA budgets
By Megan Moseley
September 29, 2008
Ohio University’s Student Senate unanimously passed a plan Wednesday night (Sept. 24) that will increase the programming budget of every resident assistant (RA) on campus by $15 for the current academic school year.
Chauncey Jackson, commissioner for the Student Activities Commission, Student Senate President Michael Adeyanju and other members of student organizations advanced the proposal in a collaborative effort to tackle what they feel is an unfair budget for RAs.
In a report for Senate’s budget committee, Jackson noted that Adeyanju attended a Student Activities Commission meeting to request an increase in compensation for RAs by authorizing a transfer of $3,500 to the Department of Residence Life, as well as a $500 transfer from the General Fund account to finance what they called a "historic initiative.”
Increased compensation will total $4,000, which breaks down to about $15 for each resident assistant.
Some student senators who have served as RAs in the past questioned the proposal and asked whether Senate will continue to search for ways to better fund RAs in the dorms.
One student activist noted that a $15 increase isn’t much.
"I was an RA last year, and I agree that they are underfunded and deserve more funding, but I do not feel like $15 is significant to an RA, and I guess I was wondering is this the beginning, or is it like we get the $15 dollars and end of story?" asked Molly Shea of Students for a Democratic Society (SDS).
Although the $15 may not sound like a large increase, President Adeyanju and Vice President for Student Affairs Kent Smith said that this is a step in the right direction.
"My promise to you is that I will keep lobbying to the university for more funding until it's a significant compensation," President Adeyanju said. "Basically, yes, this is just the first step."
Smith also noted that the university is doing better than in past years to help out with the lack of funding.
"I just want you to know that we are committed from the Student Affairs’ perspective to increase RA compensation," Smith said. "We have increased RA compensation this year by $150,000 more then we did last year. Our end goal is to get to 100 percent. That won't happen for a few years, but that is our goal, and we have had a large increase in funding just from last year alone."
The $15 is intended to help cover costs that RAs have had to pay when they foot the bill for things like crafts that are needed to make bulletin boards and otherwise decorate residence halls.
Others items discussed at Student Senate include the overall success of Senate’s recent retreat.
Also, in a report from commissioner for state and federal affairs Matthew Tokarsky, he stated that voting polling places that were previously located in Nelson Dining Hall and the Convocation Center will be moved to Baker Center. Reasons for changing the original locations include lack of space in Nelson Dining Hall and the Convocation Center not meeting the Americans with Disabilities Act’s accessibility guidelines.
Comments
Please log in to post a comment.
