Registration Fee Advisory Committee members are reconsidering a plan to remodel their fee-based stipends, as the university may have given them an unintended pay raise by increasing tuition fees in response to state budget cuts.
The committee, consisting of faculty, representatives from Associated Students and students from all six colleges, advises Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs Joseph W. Watson on matters concerning the use of registration fee funds. These funds, paid by students in addition to regular tuition, subsidize a large number of student service programs across campus, including the Student Health Center and the Psychological Services Department.
This year, higher registration and education fees may cause the stipends paid to student committee members to grow, according to RFAC Chair Nick Rahaghi.
Regular student members’ stipends are equal to one quarter’s registration and education fees, totaling $1,662 per academic year for work they do during the last two quarters of the year. The RFAC vice chair receives money totaling two quarters’ worth of registration and education fees, or $3,324 per academic year for two quarters of work, while the RFAC chair, who works during all three quarters, earns a stipend equal to three quarters worth of the fees, totaling $4,986 per academic year.
Student members first began receiving stipends last year. Faculty members do not get additional money for their work.
According to Watson, the original decision to base RFAC stipends on student fees stemmed from the committee’s desire to set payments at a known number to attract potential members.
“There was considerable discussion of it,” Watson said. “In the end, we had to consider accommodating financially needy students and broadening our pool of members.”
A.S. Representative Charles Dahan said he believes RFAC stipends are a major factor in the quality of committee members.
“Considering this is the most important committee on campus, as it relates to students, you need to have an applicable stipend to draw in the best students,” he said. “The stipend isn’t merely paying for the number of hours of work, it’s an award to the most qualified students on campus to apply for this position.”
Assistant Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs Edward J. Spriggs said the committee also justifies its stipends by the amount of work accomplished.
“[Committee members] work into the ninth or 10th week of spring quarter and have to cover a lot of business outside of the committee,” he said. “They put a lot of time and effort into what they do.”
The committee’s charter states that stipends “are intended to encourage student participation in the committee process and to unburden student members from having to work in order to pay fees because of their commitment of time and energy in working for the RFAC.”
Lulu Ge, a John Muir College sophomore and RFAC member, proposed last year that committee members take a 10- to 15- percent pay cut. She also suggested that the stipend be made independent of changes in student fees, an amendment which would have taken effect for this years’ stipends.
According to Ge, the value of the RFAC stipends should reflect the cuts made to units within student affairs organizations.
“I thought our stipends were high,” she said. “I thought it should reflect more of what other student groups were receiving.”
Ge’s proposal for pay cuts was pushed back, however, as many committee members had conflicts with its timing late in the year.
While Ge’s proposal elicited questions concerning the stipends of RFAC committee members, it would not have any direct effect, as their pay is at Watson’s discretion. The committee may only make recommendations to the vice chancellor.
Watson, however, said he does not see any conflict if committee members recommend a cut in their own pay.
“As a general principle, it’s wise not to give the committee power over its own stipends,” he said. “But I don’t see any difficulty if they want to take a pay cut.”
Watson and Spriggs also said that, for now, RFAC’s stipends will remain fixed at the fall 2003 level, although a pay raise in the future due to additional fee inflation may be possible. If Watson decides to distribute stipends at the fall 2004 fee level, RFAC general members would receive a raise of $233 each.
Because of budget procedures, money saved by keeping the stipends at a fixed value may not go directly to other student programs, but Rahaghi believes that any funds saved may be a benefit in the long run.
“It’s not like our salary takes away from appropriated funds,” he said. “But obviously, if there is more money in the main pool, then it can go other places.”
The RFAC will examine Ge’s proposal for pay cuts more comprehensively when it reconvenes next quarter.
Ge said that a reconsideration of her proposal may yield better results than the previous introduction.
“The idea was rushed, so I think it was best that it didn’t pass before,” she said. “But I think it’s important that we look at the issue again.”
