From the previous ASUO administration, former Sen. Lindy Mabuya, former Vice President Nick McCain and former President Laura Hinman sent out three documents with recommendations in regards to how to lower the budget for the ASUO in the future. Current ASUO members have criticized some of the recommendations in the memos, saying that the recommendations ask for students to be less involved with the negotiating and contracting process with outside organizations that the University of Oregon are involved with.
On the surface, this looks like nothing more but internal conflict between different members of the ASUO. It’s true that the conflict primarily resides in and will be settled by the ASUO, but the outcome of this will affect all students — whether we realize it or not.
“There is a group (of recommendations) which contains what could potentially be very beneficial but have anywhere from small amounts to a large amount of effects on student groups and organizations,” ASUO President Sam Dotters-Katz said. “We can’t go forward without any broad consultation.”
One of those recommendations being to move funding for centers such as the Women’s Center, Men’s Center, the LGBTQA and the Sustainability Center from the Program Finance Committee to the EMU Board.
Even for those not involved with a center, the incidental fee funds the PFC, which is a fee that all students pay at the beginning of year along with their tuition. One of the primary objectives from these recommendations is to lower the incidental fee, but transitioning funding duties from the PFC to the EMU Board could mean that funding would be cut.
Some centers, such as the Women’s Center, are just as concerned as Dotters-Katz with the transition as well.
“I believe that a move from the Program’s Finance Committee to the EMU Board is a process that needs heavy involvement from all members of the centers discussed,” said Nina Nolen, a volunteer for the Women’s Center and the ASUO Senate liaison for the center. “There needs to be many more discussions about the pros and cons of each choice, and ultimately the decision it needs to be based on if a move would ensure the best possible services being provided to student.”
And this is just one of the multiple changes that have the potential to go into effect and change the course of how students are able to get an overall exceptional experience during their time at UO. Since the recommendations come from an administration that’s no longer active in the ASUO, all these recommendations could be dead in the water. However, these were sent to the UO administration, and if they like what they read, some changes could be made without the student’s consent.
“The process of administering items on the incidental fee will always be led by students,” Dotters-Katz said. “We will not allow the fire sale of decades of autonomy and the ability of student leaders to administer contracts for the benefits of our students.”