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Proposal restructures student fee, programs

Student activities fees and programming would be restructured and consolidated under a recent proposal by Michigan Student Assembly President Flint Wainess.

Wainess' proposal consolidates the student tuition fees for MSA, the University Activities Center, WOLV television station and WCBN radio station under one fee and creates a general student programming board for the University.

Vice President for Student Affairs Maureen Hartford said the programming board would help to centralize decisions and evaluate programs. She offered to designate the Office of Student Affairs' discretionary funds to the board for allocation to student groups.

"I thought it was a good idea -- so much so, we would put our discretionary money in student affairs into the pot and let that control that too," Hartford said.

The board, consisting of representatives from MSA, UAC, Minority Student Services, the Dean of Students Office, and several others, would both plan, fund and evaluate campus-wide programs. Wainess said the programs would include core events, such as Welcome Week and Homecoming, and ad hoc projects such as MSA's lecture series.

"It would charge a body to determine what core programs should continue and at what level they should be funded," he said.

Revenue from the consolidated fee would be distributed among the organizations according to a formula agreed upon by the groups, Wainess said. The fee would be negotiated with the University Board of Regents by the MSA president each year.

Wainess said the proposal would allow students to both track where their money goes and assure that it is used for worthwhile programs.

"It's a great thing for students to find out where people's money is going," Wainess said.

The amount requested by the assembly would determine the starting point for the proportional fee allocation, Wainess said. The actual proposal, however, would represent a unanimous decision of the groups.

"MSA would not have sole control," said WCBN general manager Terry Lorber.

Hartford said the proposal would be a more effective plan than the current system of charging separate fees.

The plan would more effectively direct the available time and money, said Frank Cianciola.

"Student organizations on this campus spend probably 80 percent of their time chasing money down and only 20 percent of their time around program selection and program planning," Cianciola said.

Wainess announced at Tuesday's MSA meeting that WOLV is officially "on board" the proposal.

Lorber said the plan would benefit the station financially. However, Lorber said the station would still solicit funds from other sources to maintain its budget of $36,000.

Wainess' term as MSA president will end before the next meeting of the Board of Regents in April. He submitted a letter to the board and said he hopes his predecessor will officially present the proposal to the regents.