Campus Union proposes bill to eliminate financial compensation

Although Campus Union executives, as well as committee heads, have been offered a salary for a number of years now—following a Campus Union vote to enact salaried CU positions—some delegates and other members of the student body are now questioning if pay for these student leaders is appropriate. The following positions currently receive a standard monthly pay: president, vice president, treasurer and secretary, as well as the chairs of the Campus Relations, Facilities and Sustainability, Wofford Live, Wellness & Safety and Wofford Activities Council committees. The monthly pay varies according to the respective positions, and individuals may choose to decline their salary, but some are now asking: what’s the price of a paycheck? 

The Proposal to Eliminate Financial Compensation for the Campus Union Cabinet was drafted by former delegate Coleman Bryant in late November of 2019 in hopes that, after preliminary review, it would be ready to introduce at the onset of the spring semester. Now in its final draft, and having already incited strong responses from both sides, it was proposed to Campus Union on Monday, Feb. 10 and voted on at the same meeting. The vote was eight in favor, 22 opposed with two absentees. The bill was proposed by Bryant and sponsored by Secretary Jacorie McCall, At-Large Delegate Delacy Rowland, President Luke Lovell, Junior Delegate Alex Hill and Sophomore Delegates Ruqaiya Dalal and Dylan Goshorn. 

Both those in support of and in opposition to the proposal offered their opinions on the potential ramifications of this piece of legislation. 

Bali Channa, Senior Class Delegate and Chair of the Facilities and Sustainability Committee, said this of the issue: “I don’t think there’s a really good reason why our pay should be taken away; at the end of every fiscal year, there’s thousands of dollars left over. That goes straight back into the school because we don’t spend it, so there’s no point in cutting our salaries to put it in a Campus Union budget when we don’t even finish the budget to begin with.” 

Bella Riddle, chair of WAC, echoed this position, emphasizing her belief that “the people supporting this are not considering people that may come from different financial backgrounds than them,” in regard to the importance of the salary that she and others receive. 

Alec Konrad, who also serves in a delegate position and as the chair of a committee (Wofford Live), differentiated between the role of a salary in an elected position compared to a nominated position. “I wasn’t elected (for the chair position), I was selected by the director of student activities, Alexa Riley, [among others]. It’s not like I got voted into it; this is a different position I have as a delegate. I know the amount of work I do for it (Wofford Live), and I think it would be impossible for a student to be a student, do this position and have a paid job. If you take away pay for this position, you limit the applicant pool to students who are affluent or don’t have a job. I just don’t know where you’d find the time.”

Though Riddle admitted that she did not enter into her position as WAC chair for the money, she, like Konrad, is not sure she would be able to maintain the position “without some sort of compensation due to the kind of time it requires. She added, “I think the executive officers that are pushing for this bill are fortunate enough that they do not have to be stressed about paying for other things such as school, insurance, or day to day expenses, but I think they are also failing to recognize that this may not be the case for every student at Wofford.”

Secretary McCall, however, noted that, in addition to being the secretary of the student body, which he calls “very time consuming,” he has two jobs and is a full time student. President Lovell, who does not take his salary, and has a full-time job as well, is of the opinion that “the argument that you couldn’t work and do your duties is not a good argument,” adding the question, “Does the pay for any of these students compensate for a part time job?” which he makes rhetorical, saying, “Most certainly not.”

Bryant, who spearheaded the proposal, finds salaried executive and committee chair positions problematic for three reasons: “transparency, morality and efficiency.” He explained: “For a majority of my time at Wofford, I never knew Campus Union got paid. Like me, a large majority of students at this college still don’t know. It’s almost like it’s discreet; without talking to Secretary McCall when he was elected, I wouldn’t have had any of the details I now have to write this bill.” 

One thing Bryant, Channa, Riddle, McCall and Lovell agree on is that students who are elected or appointed into salaried positions are not motivated by money. It is, instead, an aside and compounds the other benefits that students in these positions are privy to, such as a seat at board meetings, an office in the Campus Life building and various dinners, as Bryant explained. Channa put it this way: “The money factor isn’t a big motivator; I would still do the same hard work regardless; that’s what I was appointed to do.” Riddle added, though, “I do not think it [an unpaid role] will result in a lack of motivation in the future, but I do think it will only allow students with a certain amount of money to serve.” 

The unanimous opinion among those interviewed that money is not a motivator, in Bryant’s words, boils down to this: “If they [student leaders] have the right approach going in and they truly are what we describe as student leaders, there should never be a problem with motivation.” 

Proposal to Eliminate Financial Compensation for the Campus Union Cabinet

Proposed by: Coleman Bryant
Sponsored by: Jacorie McCall, Delacy Rowland, President Luke Lovell, Alex Hill, Ruqaiya Dalal, Dylan Goshorn

Whereas:

1. Wofford College prides itself on having students committed to serving others;
2. Servant-leaders are people who are committed to serving their constituents without personal gain such as financial compensation;
3. Nearly all other student leaders on campus serve without financial compensation;
4. Hundreds of students on campus face very similar financial struggles to those that this compensation is intended to help; 
5. The compensation that is received is too small to replace one of the several jobs that most working-class students have in order to afford to school;
   1. 12 hour workweek x $7.25 (minimum wage) = $87/week or $348/month
6. Most Wofford students are unaware that Campus Union officers and committee heads are paid for their service to our campus;
7. Without financial compensation, student leaders still receive non-monetary benefits such as an office in the Campus Life Building, a seat at the table during Board meetings, networking opportunities, a resume-building position, and the joy and satisfaction from their service to their fellow classmates;
8. Currently, a select few students (12) are paid through Student Affairs based on their election to office;
9. Campus Union’s current pay scale for cabinet members is as follows:

Committee Heads – $75/month x 8 months x 8 committee heads = $4,800                          

Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary – $125/month x 9 months x 3 cabinet members = $3,375

President – $225 x 9 months = $2,025

Total: $10,200

1. This move would save the Campus Union Assembly approximately $10,200 which could be returned directly back to the students through its use in the student activities fund;
2. This legislation would demonstrate the Assembly’s commitment to service, accountability, and transparency to the whole Wofford Community;

Therefore, be it proposed that the 2019-2020 Campus Union Assembly Eliminate All Financial Compensation for Campus Union Cabinet Members effective for the 2020-2021 year.