In many ways, the two candidates for the office of vice president of finance and resources – Sarah Chang from Student Voice! and Alan Roof of the SHOCK! slate – are running on identical platforms.
Proposes realistic and useful methods to streamline funding process for student organizations. Well-reasoned, realistic goals for the short- and long-term health of enterprises and services. Is dedicated to student control of fees and services. Boasts impressive organizational skills and fundamental knowledge of council financial issues.
Both Chang and Roof want to develop online options for A.S. Lecture Notes and Soft Reserves, a good idea that should reduce operating costs for the enterprise and reduce wait times considerably. Both want to streamline the funding process for student organizations by establishing an online application system and both want to expand the scope and profile of A.S. Safe Rides. Both also have realistic plans for dealing with the Grove Caffe’s ballooning deficit and neither is excited about the prospect of hiring a professional manager for the floundering business.
But that’s where the similarities fade.
Only Chang has put a solid emphasis on student control, specifically demanding hiring and firing authority for any nonstudent manager at the Grove. Building upon current A.S. President Harry Khanna’s recent drive for student control and the pending appointment of a new vice chancellor of student affairs, this attitude would be particularly valuable in asserting direct student authority over self-imposed fees, something that the council has been sorely lacking in every fee increase in recent memory.
Only Chang has a clear plan to target “”umbrella funding,”” a loophole in the finance bylaws that allows student organizations to dodge A.S. Council funding limits by splitting into smaller groups and applying for funds separately.
Only Chang has a workable plan to justify and consolidate fee referenda, modeled after a measure recently passed at UC Santa Barbara, which would direct resources to the organizations that need them most and eliminate the constant barrage of student fee increases.
And only Chang has demonstrated familiarity with details of the A.S. Council’s financial operations, such as insurance liability for off-campus events, and outlined clear expectations for the offices that would serve under her (most notably the office of enterprise operations, which has been lackluster for a long time now).
Several of Roof’s ideas are worth looking into, such as the revamping of the Price Center arcade and an online textbook exchange program. This board was particularly excited about his plans to better integrate on-campus events, such as coordinating future Bear Gardens with concerts and setting up barbecue tailgate parties just before athletic events. Integrating events like these would both minimize advertising expenses and encourage attendance at a variety of events.
But many of Roof’s other recommendations are less impressive, such as the creation of a tutoring program (a service already provided by the Office of Academic Support and Instructional Services), the development of a Netflix-like video rental service (an on-campus movie rental business in John Muir College closed just two years ago) and an unrealistic emphasis on external revenue sources. His plan to enhance college activity centers contradicts his plan to do away with the budget line item that funds the six colleges.
The ease with which Chang is able to field questions about a wide range of fiscal issues demonstrates an impressive knowledge base. These things, combined with her ambitious but realistic and structured goals for the future, make her easily deserving of your vote for the A.S. Council’s vice president of finance and resources.
