| Position: | Other | | Actual Title: | Senate Vice President | | Department or Organization: | Student Government (SG) |
| | Compensation Type: | Salary | | Annual Compensation Actual: | $10,937 | | Annual Compensation Range: | $10,000-15,000 |
| Compensation Description:
Compensation:
President—$10,937 (is paid $6.25 per hour, can work up to 35 hours per week, must account for time, bi-weekly, viewed as student employees)
Vice president—$10,937
Senate president—$10,937
Senate vice president—$10,937
no tuition assistance, no perks, no tickets to games
Martin:
“Our university pays SG officers minimum wage. To be on payroll, you have to be least on the executive cabinet or higher—everyone receives the same amount of pay. Pay is considered to be a job, in that you receive pay on an hourly basis, regular check every two weeks. ‘Pay day Friday’ in the state of Florida. All cabinet officers and higher receives an office and the use of a computer.”
Should student leaders be compensated?
Martin:
“Yes, SG leaders work very hard and often long hours. I believe that SG officers should either receive a stipend or remain on a payroll, per hour.”
Synovec:
"Key officers should be paid because they are managing service-oriented operations which benefit the university, such as computer labs, SAFE team, Sober Ride, information service, legal aid, business office. Not all positions should be compensated because some fall under a "volunteer" or "personal growth" umbrella."
"Clubs and organizations should not be compensated. This is a purely volunteer issue."
"They're in that club, it's more of a social need, we have a 130 clubs funded, 300 total, and not enough money in Dodge to pay for everything. I love to ski, so I'm in the ski club, it's a personal desire and issue and shouldn't be an A&S funded issue."
Narain:
"Student Government officers should be paid for the work that they do. Unique to any other position on campus the Student Leader is always a student leader. No matter where they are or what they may be doing, they are always perceived as people in the know by their peers. Student leaders are public figures who rarely find time for themselves. It is impossible to say to someone 'I can't talk about this now,' or 'I can't make this meeting.' It is our job to do so. Therefore, the position is who you become and it requires all of your time.
"If you didn't pay student leaders it would be impossible for the average-income student or those with jobs or families to support to be able to hold an office. It would create a system in which only the rich could afford the position. Would these student leaders be truly representative to the average working-class student? How would their positions on issues differ from those of the student population?
"Also consider the amount of time spent traveling and away from family and friends. Some may say travel presents opportunities to network that other students are not afforded. I beg to differ. These trips are periods of work in which the student leader is representing their constituents. Time away from class, family and other personal time is being sacrificed.
"Finally when taking into account the numerous jobs done, meetings attended, and time sacrificed, the amount of any paycheck will not ever suffice for the amount of time poured into the organization. You become your position and probably spend most of your time thinking about it and how you are perceived by those you represent. Students in other departments make more money in less challenging occupations. Why should a student representative work more but be paid less?"
Responses courtesy of - Shelli Martin, retired senator, 01-02; Joe Synovec, SG business manager, 97-98, ; Edwin Narain, SG president, 97-98
|
| |
