Editorial: Increasing stipends is only first step in USAC accessibility

A recent proposal to increase stipends for Undergraduate Students Association Council members to be discussed Tuesday is well-intentioned, but clearly treads on basic ethical principles of public office.

Currently, councilmembers receive a monthly $355 allowance, which is lower than the stipend offered to undergraduate student officers at some other UC campuses. Increasing this sum would expand access to council positions for students who can’t afford to set aside so many hours each week for such a small return and help current councilmembers focus on their government duties – both worthy goals.

However, it is not acceptable for the council to approve an increase in their own compensation. That is a basic conflict of interest. There should be a change to the council’s stipend, but it should only take effect next year.

For a group of student leaders with less than three months of experience in their positions, such a move, which would use student fees for immediate personal benefit, sends the wrong message. This risk is heightened during the summer, when a significant portion of the undergraduate population is away from campus and few have their eyes on the council.

Serving on USAC is a worthwhile undertaking, but councilmembers should remind themselves of the hundreds of undergraduates who tackle projects and provide services for the benefit of the campus community but receive no pay in return.

Furthermore, when applying for a council position, it is incumbent on each candidate to take stock of their personal situation and to decide whether they will be able to balance the time commitment with the small stipend offered by the position. And while any qualified candidate should have a shot at a leadership position regardless of financial standing, they must keep in mind that, while in office, they will be asked to balance a much larger budget – that of the entire undergraduate population.

The new model outlined in the proposal would pay councilmembers by the hour, based either on a 20-hour workweek, a 15-hour workweek or an 11.5 workweek at $8 an hour, the state’s minimum wage.

As the Daily Bruin’s Natalie Delgadillo wrote on July 22, other UC campuses also use an hourly system to pay out stipends to representatives of their undergraduate student governments. At UC Irvine, student government leaders are paid $9 an hour for a 16-hour workweek, or $576 a month.

Creating equal access to leadership positions in USAC is a commendable aim for the council, but this proposed bump in their monthly stipend would only be a start, not a silver bullet.

If this goal is truly a priority of council, they should identify additional ways to encourage students of diverse financial backgrounds to work in USAC offices at every level. The current proposal would only improve access at the top – the tip of the iceberg.

A better course of action would be to approve an increase for next year’s council leaders. This would demonstrate fiscal foresight and attention to student need, but just as importantly, it’s the ethically responsible thing to do.