Stipends for UCSA positions minimal, increase access

By Christopher Neal

This submission is in response to a news article printed on Nov.
26, 2002, “Neal paid more despite deficit.” It is also
to give students greater knowledge of my role as Undergraduate
Students Association Council external vice president as well as
vice-chairman for the UC Student Association.

The news article focuses on my gaining a stipend for my position
as UCSA vice-chairman and how this contributed to a budget deficit.
I and the UCSA Chairman Stephen Klass did receive stipends which
increased the budget deficit. However the key reason the board
decided to go into deficit was to hire a new staff member, whose
wages would be paid 70 percent by the board and 30 percent by the
Council on Student Fees. Money gleaned from the deficit will go to
the new university affairs position for UCSA and a director for the
Council on Student Fees. This person will work closely with the UC
Office of the President to present the student perspective on UC
policies and will be housed in the UCSA office in Oakland.

My role as EVP for USAC required me to sit as the voting
representative of the undergraduates of UCLA on the UCSA board of
directors. I am responsible for relaying the needs of UCLA students
to the board and the decisions of the board to UCLA. I am also
responsible for getting students involved in this process. This can
be through attendance at lobby days in Sacramento or through the
numerous conferences that will be held in the winter and spring of
2003.

My role as vice-chairman of UCSA is very different. I assist the
chairman in meetings, but I also supervise the organization’s
executive director who then supervises the rest of staff. I am also
responsible for hiring staff and other staff related issues
concerning awards and discipline. In addition to these tasks I am
responsible for creating a budget for the organization with the
executive director. In my opinion a budget needs to be fiscally
sound and move an organization towards growth. The current budget
also contains a significant savings for the organization, so going
into deficit was seen more as an organization building decision,
not one that was detrimental to the organization.

The need for stipends was presented by myself and the chairman
of UCSA as an issue of access. The chairman and vice-chairman
positions are open to any board member, graduate or undergraduate.
However, the positions have been traditionally held by graduate
students who have more time and flexibility in their schedules to
pursue the functions. These positions have also been held by
students who have the means not to work in exchange for the time
spent doing their duties as UCSA chairman or vice-chairman.

Stipends allow undergraduate students who tend to represent a
larger constituency to take on the charge of expanded leadership.
It enables students from lower income backgrounds to exchange time
that would have been spent working with time spent running a
statewide organization. The implementation of stipends is an issue
of access. Students from all walks of life should be able to take
on any role they are qualified for without worrying about financial
barriers.

I am a student from a low income background. I am responsible
for the whole of my education and rely on financial aid, grants and
loans. The decision for me to run for vice-chairman was made out of
realization of my long experience with the organization and desire
to see it grow. I did not take the role on as a matter of prestige.
I am still responsible for the work I do on the UCLA campus and
related to state and national affairs. The stipend I now receive
from UCSA is minimal compared to the amount of hours and work I
engage in. Amounting to $250 per month, the stipend only goes to a
partial supplement of my larger expenses. I have still been
required to take a job at the UCLA Store so many of you may be
seeing me soon selling you books to pay my rent while I also go
advocate for you in Washington, D.C. to make sure you have enough
Pell Grant.

I hope this clarifies any misconceptions or lack of knowledge
students have about the role of UCSA and my role as their
representative to the body and to the outside world. I hope
students reading this will want to get involved in the work I do
and build organizations like UCSA and USSA so that we can all work
to effectively advocate for students.