Legislative Council
September 17th, 2007 67LCB8 – ASC Funding
Sponsored by: Boyce Postma
Leg. Council President
Hadley Brown
Tri-Executive
Authored by: Boyce
Postma Leg. Council President
Ryan Biehle Chief of Staff / ASC
Director
Jesse Jensen Director of Legislative Affairs
Hadley Brown Tri-Executive
ASC Funding
Bill
History
In November of 2006, CU Boulder called a meeting of
Following these events, more schools joined a larger
working group to write and adopt by-laws, which were approved by CU’s legislative council in June with the passage of
67LCB02. This established CU Boulder as an official member of the ASC. At the
next Board meeting, also in June, ASC authorized the Executive Committee to
negotiate a contract for hiring staff.
Two months ago, at the first official ASC Board
meeting of the academic year, the ASC Chair proposed a budget in which $49,056
was to be used for personnel and operations costs. Approximately three quarters of this budget
would be allotted toward hiring personnel. Funding for this budget was
comprised of projected donations from several of the member schools, including
$10,000 from the UCSU Operations budget that had been earmarked in May.
This budget was created primarily by the SET
Organizer, Abe Scarr, in coordination with the ASC
Chair. The budget was developed such that the personnel costs are split between
paying the Executive Director of the Student Empowerment Training Project
(acting Executive Director of ASC) for 25% of his time, and a full-time staff
member whose purpose is to serve as an organizer of students in
In conjunction with the budget, SET and the ASC Chair
developed a contract which ASC approved and signed at its Board meeting on
Saturday, September 15th. This contract states that ASC will pay
$41,564.67 to the Center For Public Interest Research
(SET’s umbrella organization). SET is responsible for hiring, firing,
providing benefits, and training the organizer.
CU Boulder delegates voted against signing this
contract. Moreover, of the five filled Executive positions, three Executive
Committee members opposed the signing.
In May, UCSU put aside $10,000 for the purpose of
establishing a strong, statewide voice for students in
Bill Summary
Whereas: In signing this
contract, ASC has set a precedent for relying on another organization to
develop our organization and the student campaigns we intend to run.
Whereas: By signing away
much of the Executive responsibility of the Board, an atmosphere has been
created whereby students are given the opportunity to be minimally engaged in
the decision-making process.
Whereas: Signing a contract
with an outside organization allows for a permanence that is not afforded
students due to frequent turnover. This places SET in a position of undue
influence over future direction of the board.
Whereas: ASC has
essentially, even if temporarily, signed away the role of the Executive
Director to SET, who has sole hiring and firing power over the organizer.
Whereas: The contract was
developed by the interested party (SET), and was not negotiated by lawyers
representing ASC. This, in our view, is negligent considering the potential
legal ramifications of such a contract.
Whereas: No alternatives to
this contract have been proposed to the ASC Board, setting a precedent of
narrow decision-making processes.
Whereas: ASC will be a more
sustainable organization if it responsibly develops its own infrastructure for
hiring employees.
THEREFORE BE IT ENACTED:
Section
1: This bill retracts the earmark of $10,000 until ASC follows through with its
original mission of being a state-wide student government of, by and for
students.
Section
2: Upon passage of this bill, ASC will be notified of UCSU’s
decision to withdraw its earmark.
Section
3: This bill shall take effect upon passage by the Legislative Council and upon
either obtaining the signatures of two Tri-Executives or the elapse of six days
without action by the Tri-Executives.
Vote Count
9/27/02 Passed 12-4-2
10/4/07 Passed 14-2-1
________________________
_______________________
Boyce Postma Hadley Brown
Legislative Council
President Tri-Executive
_______________________ _______________________
Charles Gilford III Sara Davine
Tri-Executive Tri-Executive