As one of its last acts, this year’s Associated Students Legislative Council voted Wednesday night to amend the budget of the UCSB chapter of the University of California Student Association (UCSA).
Felicia Cruz, external vice president of statewide affairs, requested that the council redirect $9,000 from next year’s UCSA travel budget to the university affairs (UA) director’s salary. Council members also tabled nine bills ranging from the structure of A.S. committees to the creation of A.S. positions. The A.S. legal code requires all newly introduced bills to be tabled for one week. In addition, the council tabled its yearly mock position paper, which seeks a “hostile take-over” of the Daily Nexus.
Cruz said the UA director’s salary had been cut by $9,000 because the UC-wide Council on Student Fees (CSF), which partially funds UCSA with student fees, decided the workload required of the position did not warrant the pay. Although the UCSB chapter of UCSA does not currently have a UA director, Cruz said the position should not have its salary diminished. UCSA will have a UA director next year, she said.
“We’re going to maintain what a reasonable salary is,” Cruz said. “The UA director is crucial to UCSA.”
UCSA is a UC-wide student lobby organization. The association supports, among other student-interest policies, the lowering of UC student fees. Its budget is provided mostly through a UCSB undergraduate student lock-in fee. Cruz said the redirected $9,000 comes from UCSA’s pre-existing finances.
“We had to cut other aspects from our budget,” Cruz said. “We cut [funds] from the travel budget, so there will be less on-campus visits [to other UCs].”
Leggies tabled a resolution to have a hostile take over of the Nexus as part of an annual tradition to include a fictional resolution at the council’s final meeting of the year. The A.S. legal code states that resolutions are only in effect during the council session they are passed in.
At next week’s meeting, the 2004-05 A.S. Leg Council will transition to the recently elected 2005-06 council. Therefore, even if the position paper passes in this year’s council next Wednesday, it will only be in effect until next year’s council takes over.
Off-Campus Rep Jennifer Greeley said she was satisfied with the results of the 2004-05 Leg Council and looked forward to working on next year’s council as well.
“I think for the most part the majority of the people were very motivated,” Greeley said. “We had a great group of people who worked together as a group very well. The [administration] really expressed how much they appreciated this year’s group. … I feel that with Adam [Graff] running the council next year it will be even more efficient.”