Members of the undergraduate student government decided to stand by their vote to increase their own stipends at a meeting Tuesday, despite some student concerns about the decision.
The Undergraduate Students Association Council raised councilmember stipends from $355 to $672 in a 8-1-0 vote at its meeting last week.
After discussing the stipend increase for about an hour at this week’s meeting, councilmembers decided to stick to their vote. The council decided it thought USAC members deserve higher stipends, even if not all councilmembers agreed on the way the decision was made.
USAC Internal Vice President Avi Oved was the only councilmember to vote against the increase during the initial vote. Last week, he said he did not feel comfortable increasing his own stipend because he thought it was a conflict of interest and he did not want to use money that could potentially go to student groups.
General Representative Sunny Singh, Financial Supports Commissioner Lauren Rogers and Academic Affairs Commissioner Darren Ramalho did not vote because they were absent from the meeting last week.
USAC administrative representatives said they supported USAC’s decision and encouraged the council not to change its vote.
External Vice President Maryssa Hall said she did not think council should “flip-flop” on the decision.
During this week’s meeting, Finance Committee Chair Cynthia Jasso said she thought the Daily Bruin misconstrued the stipend increase issue. Jasso added that she is considering boycotting the paper.
Councilmembers had the option to individually or collectively opt out of receiving the stipend increase or their entire stipends.
But multiple administrative representatives discouraged councilmembers from publicly opting out of taking the stipend increases at the meeting. They said disparities between councilmember stipends could cause students to judge councilmembers by the amount of money they make instead of their work.
Last week, USAC President John Joanino put the option to forgo the increase on the agenda and said he planned to opt out of his own stipend increase. But Tuesday night, he decided against it after administrative representatives said it could lead to division on the council.
“It’s still an option, but I don’t want it to become a public issue of who took (the stipend increase) and who didn’t,” he said in an interview. “It wasn’t to put councilmembers in an uncomfortable position.”
Joanino said he is glad that the council is moving forward with its decision, but he plans to search for other sources of funding for council stipends besides student fees.
Oved said in an interview following Tuesday’s meeting that he thinks USAC needs to take steps to ensure students are part of the decision making process.
“The issue wasn’t the stipend increase itself,” he said. “It was the outreach and not having students involved.”
Councilmembers said they plan to outreach to the student body and explain their decision through a submission to The Bruin and a town hall meeting.
Compiled by Amanda Schallert, Bruin senior staff.
“Last week, USAC President John Joanino put the option to forgo the increase on the agenda…But Tuesday night, he decided against it after administrative representatives said it could lead to division on the council.”
So after reconvening, the council will now draw upon even more student funds? Stand-up job guys, A+.
USAC goes down the drain. Never for the good of the student body, and always for the self. If everyone takes note of USAC and becomes this selfish, shame on them. And seriously? boycotting The Daily Bruin? are we going communist? USAC turning communist and becoming corrupted.
I fail to see how communism has anything to do with this? Seriously…
Threatening a boycott? That’s cute. This news is depressing.
Threatening a boycott is a verification of her guiltiness of the crime of being a selfish, power-indulging officer in USAC. There is plenty of those in USAC as shown by the many officers with bouts of statements to “stick together” in the acceptance of their outrageous stipend increases. They are scared to stand out as those money and power greedy individuals and are willing to drag those who oppose the stipend increases down with them. Also, shame on those who know the stipend increases are wrong but still agreed to it just to protect those who are wrong. You individuals are contributing to the disintegration of a good-willed society in exchange for a trash-dump of a country.
I agree with the comment above. Why boycott a newspaper unless you have something to fear? If what you are doing is the right thing, you should be glad the newspaper is reporting on it. Only if you have something to hide from the public do you want to shut down a newspaper and the freedom of speech. And we know, Finance Committee Chair Cynthia Jasso is guilty of wrongdoing. Even her title shows how her greed for money takes precedence over the public’s welfare.
Uhh. I think you’re all jumping to conclusions a bit.
I’m sure she just meant that she felt that DB was misrepresenting what was happening and the reasoning behind it. While she definitely did not phrase her sentiment well, I can understand her being frustrated with how this is all being portrayed.
Also, just because someone is threatening a boycott does not mean that they are guilty whatsoever. There is no logic in that.
Just because someones position relates to finance does not make them automatically a greedy person. Seriously.. do I even have to say there is no logic in that?
I don’t even support this stipend increase – I’m just saying that you guys are trying to bash it for every single possible reason.. even those that are not even remotely logical.
Let’s revisit why students are upset-
1. Council voted to increase their stipends, representing a clear conflict of interest, and breach of USAC bylaws.
2. This money is coming out of student fees.
3. They did this while students are not on campus and thus less able to voice their opinion.
4. Many council members who previously supported increased student fees are taking money from the pool of student fees to pay themselves.
5. The rhetoric used to justify these increases is inherently flawed as students who ran and accepted USAC positions, knew of the time commitments of being on council.
Has there been any student support for what council has done? Have any students publicly came out and endorsed these actions because I have only seen outrage from students and student groups.
I was optimistic that council would make the right decision and forgo their stipends increases this year, but apparently, council answers to administrators, and not the student body. They just made both another wrong and unpopular decision. Another reason for council to be ashamed of themselves in by far the most shameful decision process of USAC in recent memory.
And the administrators obviously wanted the increase in stipends because it justifies their future compensation raises. Everyone, it is a slippery-slope. We are screwed in the back by USAC
Exactly how does this breach the USAC bylaws?
This is sad. I personally know Cynthia, and her idea to boycott the Daily Bruin is outrageous and seems nothing like her. I always knew USAC was bad business since I had a taste of it myself in freshman year.
LOL. Jasso boycotting the paper. Who does she think she is?
What does that even mean, considering a “boycott” of the Bruin? And how did the paper misconstrue the issue of a 90 percent pay increase? Seems pretty straightforward to me.
soooooo has anyone figured out how to opt out paying for these USAC fees?