A policy that would have curtailed student leader salaries by as much as $7,000 in some cases was narrowly defeated by the Student Services Finance Committee Monday night during the organization's final meeting of the year.
The amended proposal, introduced by UW-Madison junior and committee representative Brad Vogel, would have limited salaries of students funded by segregated fees to $1,000, effective fiscal year 2005-'06.
\Student leaders should be willing to take on a leadership role as a way to serve others, not make out like a bandit,"" Vogel's legislation read.
Currently, the wages of some student organization members approach $9,000, all footed by segregated fees.
""The reason I'm bringing this legislation up is because we need to send a strong and clear message to the student body,"" Vogel said, adding the SSFC needed to assume a good, strong role in fiscal matters. ""This at least sends a signal not only to students, but to the next SSFC.""
Other members of the board disagreed.
""I don't think this is the solution,"" said UW-Madison senior and SSFC vice-chair Kevin Otten. ""I don't think you can pay someone to work four hours a week and expect them to work 25 hours a week.""
Otten added that he didn't think student organizations should be penalized in the interest of keeping tuition low.
UW-Madison junior and committee representative Barb Kiernoziak agreed, arguing students could not get by doing work for free and adding if she personally were not paid, she would not be on the committee.
""I think that the only people hurt if we don't pass this is the student body,"" Vogel said, arguing students were adequately compensated by satisfaction, experiences to list in their r??sum??s and the satisfaction of leading a student group.
The meeting also addressed the formalization of policies designed to keep the use of segregated funds in check, including contracts, immediate notice if segregated funds were abused and the on-hand inclusion of written notice of any abuses while student groups were seeking budget approval. The group unanimously passed these additions.
