A detailed look at the government spending your student dollars
Student governments in high school were responsible for planning the prom and homecoming, hanging pretty signs in the halls and organizing fundraisers for the next pep rally. Some university student governments don’t do much more. But the University of Colorado Student Union gives elected officials a significant voice.
“UCSU is basically our student government up here,” UCSU Tri-executive Charles Gilford III said. “We have one of the largest student governments in the nation so it’s an amazing institution. It’s a place where the student voice can be heard. We decide on our student fees and different things like that.”
Gilford’s fellow Tri-executive, Hadley Brown, continues.
“It operates in much the same way that the U.S. government does – with a legislative, executive and judicial branch. Its primary purpose is to serve students at CU Boulder and to represent the students’ voices. The UCSU is equipped to take on just about any issue pertaining to students.”
Controlling a budget of around $36 million dollars, depending on the number of fee-paying students, UCSU is one of the largest student governments in the nation. Every spring, UCSU debates and decides on the allocation of student fees and how much each student will pay.
The fees go to various programs and resolutions for the benefit of the campus and community such as the funding of CU Biodeisel programs and campaigns against homelessness and hunger.
The larger part of these fees, however, go to fund the various UCSU cost centers. The The Rec Center, Wardenburg Health Center, University Memorial Center, and the Environmental Center are four of the thirteen cost centers run by students through UCSU.
“This year we allocated over 18.5 million dollars to the assorted cost centers,” Legislative Council President Boyce Postma said. “Once that money is allocated, we then have multiple funding boards that receive money from this process that allocate it further to events, student groups operations and programs. When making these decisions it is often very difficult to come to a compromise between helping cost centers achieve their goals and keeping student fees as low as possible. With the rising cost of. well, everything, it is a very stressful time, but we try our best to represent all students, enabling those from a lower socioeconomic background to still come and succeed at CU, while keeping the education at the highest quality.”
Though UCSU is comprised of a vast population within the various cost centers, programs and affiliates, the great movers and shakers within the student government are within Legislative Council and the office of the Tri-executives.
Within the Tri-executives office, there are three student body presidents, hence Tri-executives. One specializes in administrative affairs, working with the CU administration, i.e. the office of Chancellor Bud Peterson, the Regents, etc. Currently, Tri-executive Sara Davine holds this position.
The second Tri-executive specializes in academic affairs and the third in student affairs.
“Essentially what I do, seeing as how I am the Tri-executive who works with student affairs, is work with student groups directly and I keep track of, basically, the overall atmosphere as far as students are concerned,” Gilford said. “Whether it’s bills surrounding great inflation or whether its just the student body experience in the form of events that we have on campus through CEB, (Cultural Events Board) which is one of our funding boards which brings diverse speakers to campus.”
Brown, as the academic Tri-executive, works closely with the faculty and students on any academic related issue thrown her way. Most importantly though she will be working with the Associated Students of Colorado, forging relationships between Colorado’s collective student bodies, rapidly growing upwards of 150,000, and state legislators to come to a cohesive solution to the immense lack of funding for higher education in Colorado.
“I view the Tri-executives as bridge-builders between the three branches of government,” Brown said. “We work closely with the president and vice-president of Legislative Council to facilitate communication between students on executive staff and elected students on legislative council. We do the same with the appellate court judges.”
Postma also voiced his views of the executive branch of UCSU.
“The executives are to a large extent, the face of the UCSU. When the University of Colorado at Boulder is asked to present student representatives, they are the people who go,” he said.
The executive office also employs an extensive staff to manage some of the major facets of their job.
“Within the Tri-executive office, we have our executive staff, all of which fulfill different and work with different positions,” Gilford said.
“For instance, we have the safety director who focuses on issues of campus safety, making sure the campus is properly lit, different things like that, or the diversity director who works to make sure that students of diverse backgrounds and just the overall student experience in general is very positive in making sure that people are enjoying themselves. The environmental director makes sure we are being environmentally friendly, seeing as how we have thirty thousand students up here, we are a huge populace and we need to make sure we are being environmentally friendly as well. So we just have a whole bunch of positions for the array of issues that come through throughout the year to our university.”
The Tri-executives office will be hiring throughout the end of the summer and into the fall.
The other major institution within UCSU is the Legislative Council. Made up of senators elected from within CU’s various schools, and generally elected representatives at large. The student legislature writes legislation regarding the management of UCSU cost centers, resolutions regarding administrative action and budgetary and financial measures.
“It seems like every semester I am on the council we have continually more qualified people. Nearly all the representatives are very active members on the council and their respective boards, each bringing a unique perspective to the table. Some people have speculated that the legislative council will be one sided this coming semester, but I honestly don’t think that this council is one sided. Nearly everyone takes their job very seriously and votes in the best interest of the students as they individually think fit.”
Though elections don’t come again for the higher positions until next spring, there are vast multitude of committees, boards and commissions that students can become involved in as well as freshman council and the various college student governments.
“If you are interested in being an active student leader on this campus, the best way is to just stop by the UCSU office in the UMC and ask what boards, committees, and/or commissions exist that fit your interest,” Postma said. “If you are interested in school finances, you might be interested in joining finance board, if you are interested in lobbying and representing the school on the state level, you might want to join the Legislative Affairs Commission. If all of that sounds like more than you want to be involved in, local college student governments may be more up your alley. This is how I started, and I would suggest it.”
As a final note, Postma warmly welcomes incoming freshman and gives a few sage words of advice.
“If you are a new student on the CU Boulder campus, I would first of all like to extend my congratulations on being accepted,” he said. “I have had a really good time in Boulder, and I wish the same to you. That being said, there is a serious bit I would like to extend to you. This is a real opportunity. Relatively few people in the world are able to get an education, much less go to a college or university. I have seen too many unintelligent people screw up their opportunity because they wanted to get drunk every other night, or get caught doing something stupid. Don’t get me wrong, I support having a good time, and I understand that being on your own for what may be the first time in your life is an experience that you want to live to the fullest. Please be careful, be smart, and make your education your first priority while you are here. Don’t waste the opportunity.”
Brown enthusiastically extends her greetings as well.
“I am excited about this coming year. We plan to make UCSU more visible on campus and a more integral part of students’ experience here. I highly recommend that students get involved with the CU community in some way. As a person who will be a fifth year senior this year, I can say that my involvement with student groups and student government has greatly enhanced my experience here by allowing me to contribute to my community.”
UCSU officials encourage students to stop by the UCSU office, UMC 125, any time or to stop by weekly meetings of Legislative Council, Thursday nights at 7:00 p.m., and to get involved. All meetings and hearings of UCSU are open to the public unless a vote is taken to go into executive session per Colorado Sunshine laws.
