Issue date: 12/13/07 Section: Editorial/Opinion

UW System President Kevin Reilly accepted a new UW System policy on student segregated fees recently, and, to be honest, the issue felt a little distant from Eau Claire.

We covered it in the pages of The Spectator, but found it difficult to connect the issue to our campus because the specifics of the policy don't apply here - yet.

When it's all said and done, though, there's one point that the student body should have picked up on: they did indeed lose power in the deal, at least in principle.

A little background is probably useful.

Student segregated fees are those the university collects from students that, in turn, student government helps dole out. Here on campus our Finance Commission - composed of students inside and outside of Student Senate- just finished hearing presentations by a variety of groups. The commission's final decisions will go to members of Student Senate, who can decide to amend them as they see fit.

The new policy is a consolidation of two other policies that the System decided to review. It prohibits student groups from using student fees to rent off-campus or hire non-university employees without their chancellor's consent.

However you want to look at it, this is indeed a limit on student power, and one that seems unnecessary.

The debate itself - over whether off-campus rentals and non-university employees are a good use of student money - is probably legitimate. But it's one that should arise in the chambers of student government as they consider organizations' proposals, not the office of the chancellor.

Student Senate President Ray French has been quick to point out in interviews with The Spectator that this policy doesn't restrict the allocation of fees - just what groups spend it on.

What's more, since student groups at Eau Claire don't use money for off-campus rentals or non-university employees, it doesn't have any impact here, he has told The Spectator.

French is partially right in his reasoning, and he appears to have considered the policy in a thoughtful way.

But the fact is, administrators will now have more say over what student organizations can use their money for and, in that way, what student government will be able to give it out for.

So why the change?

System Senior Executive Vice President Donald Mash has said chancellors are responsible for all funds at their campuses, making this policy important.

Continued...

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