Spring Break
Referendum on United Council membership expected within semester
University will plan 'vote yes' campaign, delegation leader says
Breann Schossow
Issue date: 10/1/09 Section: Campus News
A referendum will be held this semester to decide whether UW-Eau Claire will continue as a member of United Council for another year and pay $2, according to a member of student senate.
Each student pays $2 of segregated fees for the university to be a member of the group, said United Council delegation leader Janna Caspersen.
Caspersen said before a referendum date can be decided, the university must confirm it because the referendum can't be held while other surveys are out.
Founded in 1960, United Council is a non-partisan, non-profit student oriented organization that represents 16 of the 26 UW Campuses, according to the organization's Web site.
Sen. Ben Klinghammer, who serves as the vice president of United Council, said that the organization serves over 100,000 students on matters of higher education
"We're the lobbying and grassroots organizing group that talks to … the Board of Regents, legislators and UW System," he said, "Our goal is to make sure shared governance is being upheld.and that students really have a say in what's going on."
Klinghammer said that last year, United Council worked on projects including the biennial budget campaign.
"We really tried to make sure that things get into the budget that are student-friendly," Klinghammer said, adding that almost all of their priorities ended up in the budget.
United Council Governmental relations director Michael Mosicke said the university's is one of the charter members of the organization.
Mosicke said that while an organization changes over time, the most recent restructuring affected United Council staff and how students interact with the organization. The group used to have a board of directors and a general assembly, but now have one group, the board of directors to head up the organization. The board is also elected by all students who attend conventions, as opposed to election by delegates from student governments.
"We restructured to involve students much more in the decisions that a statewide student government makes," Mosicke said.
However, he said if a campus isn't a member, and is invited to a United Council event, the organization has to charge them, which generally runs around $15 per student attending.
Mosicke said that Board of Regents rules for a referendum are vague and say that a campus must use the language for the question that the regents have dictated and provide United Council with two weeks notice.
Casperson said that the university will plan a 'vote yes' campaign for the upcoming referendum. Voting yes will maintain membership of the organization. Also, a resolution must go through student senate to set the date and decide if it will be online.
Each student pays $2 of segregated fees for the university to be a member of the group, said United Council delegation leader Janna Caspersen.
Caspersen said before a referendum date can be decided, the university must confirm it because the referendum can't be held while other surveys are out.
Founded in 1960, United Council is a non-partisan, non-profit student oriented organization that represents 16 of the 26 UW Campuses, according to the organization's Web site.
Sen. Ben Klinghammer, who serves as the vice president of United Council, said that the organization serves over 100,000 students on matters of higher education
"We're the lobbying and grassroots organizing group that talks to … the Board of Regents, legislators and UW System," he said, "Our goal is to make sure shared governance is being upheld.and that students really have a say in what's going on."
Klinghammer said that last year, United Council worked on projects including the biennial budget campaign.
"We really tried to make sure that things get into the budget that are student-friendly," Klinghammer said, adding that almost all of their priorities ended up in the budget.
United Council Governmental relations director Michael Mosicke said the university's is one of the charter members of the organization.
Mosicke said that while an organization changes over time, the most recent restructuring affected United Council staff and how students interact with the organization. The group used to have a board of directors and a general assembly, but now have one group, the board of directors to head up the organization. The board is also elected by all students who attend conventions, as opposed to election by delegates from student governments.
"We restructured to involve students much more in the decisions that a statewide student government makes," Mosicke said.
However, he said if a campus isn't a member, and is invited to a United Council event, the organization has to charge them, which generally runs around $15 per student attending.
Mosicke said that Board of Regents rules for a referendum are vague and say that a campus must use the language for the question that the regents have dictated and provide United Council with two weeks notice.
Casperson said that the university will plan a 'vote yes' campaign for the upcoming referendum. Voting yes will maintain membership of the organization. Also, a resolution must go through student senate to set the date and decide if it will be online.
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