OPINION
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THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2007
EDITORIAL BOARD
WWW.KANSAN.COM
PAGE 5A
Student Senate executive compensation evaluated In the overall context of the Big 12 and the University, Student Senate financial benefits are not unjust
EDITORIAL BOARD
This year, seven Student Senate officials will each receive roughly $14,700 in tuition and salary compensation. This development arrives amidst questions of whether Student Senate does more work vis-à-vis other student organizations and whether this work deserves an admittedly generous financial package. After examining KU's student government in the context of other schools in the Big 12, it is apparent that these leaders' compensation is neither unfair nor out of the ordinary.
Among Student Senate's responsibilities are allocating funds to student groups, lobbying local and state governments on campus issues (such as deferred maintenance) and implementing positive changes on campus. Fall Break, the Student Recreation Center and the Multicultural Resource Center are all the result of Senate initiatives. Senate goals for this year include instituting a "Deadweek" between the end of classes and finals and providing a nighttime campus shuttle to ensure safety for students. A lack of knowledge of Senate's achievements should not be construed to mean that Senate has none.
Upon researching the methods by which other Big 12 schools compensate their student government officials, neither the sum of KU's compensation nor its manner stand out as unreasonable. The University of Nebraska at Lincoln, the University of Texas at Austin and Iowa State University all provide some sort of tuition credit, and virtually all of the respondent schools provide some sort of monetary compensation in the form of salary, tuition and/or scholarships.
It was also not unusual for schools to provide practical assistance, such as parking passes and work-study programs. The University of Nebraska at Lincoln student body president, David Solheim receives football tickets in addition to tuition assistance and a parking pass.
Iowa State University provides by far the most generous compensation package. Current Student Body President Brian Phillips is receiving roughly $28,000 this year for full out-of-state tuition, fees and room and board. Phillips pointed out that this kept him from having to seek outside employment (which most schools forbid their officers to do), allowing him to give full attention to his duties, which include overseeing $5 million in allocation funds. Both Phillips and Andrew Solomon, student government president at the University of Texas at Austin (who receives $10,000 annually in tuition and salary), said that when divided by the hours that they and other compensated officials work per week, this payment ends up being less than the
federal minimum wage.
Student government officials also pointed out the great opportunity cost involved in serving as executives.
Defending KU's compensatory policy, Matt Wagner, student body president at Kansas State University, said. "It is important to remember that these student leaders are sacrificing a position of employment outside of the University, where they could be making significantly more money during the school year than what they are from dedicating their time, talents and efforts in representing the student body of KU." Other officials echoed this sentiment, saying that service exceeded pay and that student government officers would be willing to serve even without wages.
Before implementing new policies, schools such as Kansas State University and the University of Texas at Austin researched other schools' payment methods (including conference schools and other universities across the country). Respondents were adamant that officials never voted to knowingly give themselves a raise; votes were cast in the full Senate without knowing who would specifically benefit (in KU's case, the decision to increase compensation came from KU administration, not from within the Senate itself). In most cases, the people voting to increase compensation will never be personally affected.
It may come across as unfair to compensate Senate officials but not other campus leaders. Bluntly, Student Senate (in terms of the time demanded of the seven compensated executives) cannot be compared to most other University-affiliated organizations on campus. Such organizations rely on Student Senate for funding and support; Senate is a supranational entity in the context of KU. Groups could exist without Senate, yes, but would be responsible for their own means of operation. Without funding from Senate, most groups would be unable to attend conferences, host events or schedule guest speakers without substantial outside funding at the cost of their members. In addition, the vast majority of senators will remain uncompensated, as their campus group counterparts are. While money is a perk, it is probably not enough to motivate anyone to run for higher office who wouldn't have done so regardless of pay.
Rather than viewing Student Senate compensation for the top seven officials as unfair or unwarranted, it should be seen as a way of ensuring that officials have the means to fund their educations, while at the same time fulfilling their obligations to the University.
Document leaks expose irresponsibility
A University-wide, standardized policy of thorough file disposal is a necessity
When people choose to become affiliated with the University of Kansas, whether as students, faculty or other employees, they knowingly surrender personal information to the institution under the assumption that this critical data will be safeguarded and kept private. Unfortunately, elements within the University have violated this trust by disposing of sensitive materials in a less-than-secure manner. The lessons from this event must be absorbed to prevent future errors; only luck has prevented identity theft thus far.
Tuesday, the Kansan, along with the Lawrence Journal-World and the Kansas City Star, received two envelopes from an anonymous source containing copies of numerous personal records that allegedly originated from Snow Hall. Among the contents of the envelopes were Social Security numbers, addresses, insurance details and grades. The contents were eventually returned to the University after the Kansan had reported the story.
A task force, consisting of officials from numerous administrative offices, is currently investigating the breach. While it is mildly comforting that the University has taken notice of this glaring violation, the obvious conclusion is that such a group should have existed long before now. It should not take a near-catastrophe for the University to take the safety of personal information seriously.
According to Lynn Bretz, director of university communications, there is no University-wide, consistent method of data disposal. It is unacceptable to allow departments to throw out records however they see fit. It is not enough to lay blame on one person or even one department. It is easy to assume that eliminating one weak link will fix the underlying problem; that is not the case. The buck must
stop somewhere, and the University as a whole must take responsibility for the failings of its departments.
Personal data breaches, whether by accident or design, have occurred before at KU—several times. The last incident of this sort occurred in July 2007, when graded papers and student information were found in empty offices in Wescoh Hall. In April 2004, hackers successfully accessed the Watkins Memorial Health Center and were able to view prescription records. On other occasions, financial and housing information were made available to the public.
Leaks, electronic and printed, have occurred no less than four times before this most recent incident. Of the five instances on record, only one was carried out with malicious intent. It is one thing for someone to deliberately set out to acquire these records. It is another—and completely worse—issue entirely for
the University to so cavalierly dispose of them. Thieves are expected to treat property with a lack of respect; for the University to do so is irresponsible.
The documents allegedly left in recycling bins and a dumpster outside of Snow Hall were not merely papers. They encompassed the most guarded aspects of people's lives. Identity theft remains a critical concern. A person's entire financial livelihood could have been compromised, their reputation destroyed. This misstep must never repeat itself.
Following this latest development, a standardized and reliable method of information disposal should be a top priority. Members of the University community should be able to trust KU with their data. The troubling feeling is that such confidence will not be forthcoming, and there is no sound reason to think that this event will be the last—or worst—of its kind.
Big 12 Student Government Compensation
School
University of Kansas
Compensation
15 in-state tuition credits per semester and salary
Monetary Total
Monetary Total $14,664 annually in tuition and salary
Affected Officials
Student Body president, vice president and treasurer; Student Legislative Awareness Board director; Graduate & Professional Association director, communications coordinator and finance director
School
University of Oklahoma
University of Nebraska at Lincoln
Compensation
Compensation
12 in-state tuition credits per year, parking pass and football tickets for Student Body president, and six in-state tuition credits per year for two Student Body vice presidents*
Monetary Total
Six officials receive monthly salaries for 12 months, with decreased pay in June and July
$3,030 annually for the president,
$1,017 annually for two vice presidents**
Affected Officials
Student Body president and two vice presidents
School
School
Student Body president and vice president; Chair of Congress; Chair of Graduate Student Senate; Campus Activities Council chair; and HCSA president
$400 annually to the Senate vice chair (lowest-compensated official) to $3,000 annually to the Student Body president (highest-compensated official)
Monetary Total
Monetary Total
Affected Officials
$2,850 annually for the Housing Center Student Association (HCSA) president (lowest-compensated official) to $4,950 annually for the Student Body president (highest-compensated official)
Student Body president, vice president and treasurer; and Senate chair and vice chair
Student Body president and vice president; Student Senate chair and vice chair; attorney general; Student Government Association's treasurer/allocations chair; privilege fee chair; and College Council Allocations chair
Affected Officials
Compensation
Kansas State University
Affected Officials
Monetary Total
Oklahoma State University
Compensation
Stipends that are spread out over the summer, fall and spring semesters
Combination of scholarships and paid compensation that varies based upon the position
Affected Officials
School
$1,285 annually for the College Council Allocations chair (the lowest-compensated official) to $6,201 annually for the Student Body president (highest-compensated official)
Monetary Total
$10,000 annually in salary and tuition for the president; $8,800 in salary and tuition for the vice president; $2,400 annually in salary for five executives
Student Body president, vice president and five executive officers
University of Texas at Austin
Compensation
Salary paid annually to the top seven student government executives, and tuition stipend for the Student Body president and vice president
iowa State University
School
Compensation
President and finance chair receive full tuition (in-state or out-of-state),fees and room and board; vice president receives tuition, fees and half of room and board. Other compensation varies for other officials and includes parking passes,hourly wages, work-study programs and flat one-time rates
Monetary Total
Affected Officials
$15,300 annually for an in-state vice president (lowest-compensated executive) to $28,000 annually for an out-of-state president (highest-compensated executive). Other staff compensations range from $400-2,000 annually
Student Body president, vice president and finance chair; Senate and finance clerks; election commissioner; IT/Web staff; and work-study office staff
Student body officials at the Big 12 universities were asked to list compensated student government officials, including the manner and monetary totals of their compensation. The results are self-reported and courtesy of the schools' respective student governments.
University of Kansas figures were originally reported by Erin Sommer in the Sept. 13 Kansan article 'Policy affects student leaders' tuition rates.'
*Policy including vice presidents and tuition as compensation will be implemented for the 2008-09 school year.
**Monetary total based on the 2007-08 cost of an in-state tuition credit hour at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln, the average cost of Nebraska general admission football tickets and the cost of a general student pass parking
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