Student Association nearly doubles some staff stipends for 2019-20

Student Association senators voted on staff stipends at their Friday meeting, nearly doubling at least 10 of their stipends.

Senators re-voted on staff stipends for the 2019-20 academic year, despite attempting to pass them at the previous SA senate meeting. Eric Weinman, SA Senate chairperson, said after further review of the last meeting, only eight senators voted in favor of the staff stipends, which needed nine votes to pass. The senate passed next year’s $15,750 executive board stipends at the last meeting, but Weinman miscounted the votes for the rest of the staff stipends list. 

At Friday’s meeting, both Tanahiry Escamilla, the current SA treasurer, and next year’s executive board proposed staff stipend budgets. Senators passed Escamilla’s budget with 14 in favor, 0 against and 1 abstention. The budget nearly doubles council coordinator stipends, with the lowest stipend raised from $2,306.56 to $4,312.50 and the highest from $4,613.70 to $8,062.50. Some coordinators, whose stipends are now nearly doubled, are required to work less than 10 hours per week, Escamilla said at the meeting. 

Transportation coordinator, chief of staff, and elections and credentials chair are each paid based on annual salary ranges. Transportation coordinator’s range increased roughly $5,000, chief of staff’s range increased by roughly $3,000 and elections and credentials chair’s range increased roughly $1,000.

The incoming e-board wanted to introduce a production manager to handle scheduling sound technician shifts and “calculations.” They would also serve as a personal receptionist for the entertainment department. Next year’s e-board also wanted to introduce an assistant director of media and marketing. The assistant director would oversee media marketing for all clubs and create a single SA social media page to promote all clubs. 

“One of our biggest goals is to try and promote our clubs, so we wanted to promote clubs through different social media platforms,” Georgia Hulbert, vice president-elect, said.

Senators voted against these changes.

Weinman also proposed a new 10-page Rules of Procedure handbook, which would manage how meetings run, create two new committees and outline general functions of the senate. Senators passed the handbook and one of the staff stipend proposals. Weinman asked SA’s lawyer, Josh Korman, to be present at the meeting in case senators had questions on amendments or the proposed Rules of Procedure.

The senate passed the handbook, which laid out the structure of future meetings. Weinman said he wrote the handbook himself, although he offered senators the opportunity to partake in the process. 

Some senators wanted to postpone voting on the 10-page handbook until next meeting so they had more time to look it over, while some wanted time to read it at the meeting.

“A lot of the time, we don’t think about senate when not in this room, so for some of us, discussions that happen at this meeting don’t follow us outside this room,” POC coordinator Devin Forde said.

These rules also created a Club Oversight Committee and a Rules, Administration and Government Oversight Committee. Any potential sanctions or club de-recognitions will go through the Club Oversight Committee first.

“This allows a few senators to look into [sanctions], do further research and speak with club members before bringing that to the senate with recommendations,” Weinman said.

The Rules, Administration and Government Oversight Committee will make suggestions to Rules of Procedure, look over amendments and conduct “investigations” if needed.

Brittany Gorny is assistant news editor and can be reached at brittany.gorny@ubspectrum.com and on Twitter @BrittanyUBSpec.

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