The Badger Herald

NEWS

United students stand

SUNDEEP MALLADI/Herald photo

Looking for a print version?
Simply choose ‘Print’ on your computer and a printer-friendly document will be generated.

Also by Sarah Delany:

by Sarah Delany

Tuesday, February 20, 2007

Representing 21 University of Wisconsin System campuses, the United Council of UW Students works to influence lawmakers to include its interests in the state budget.

Every two years, when lawmakers revisit the budget, students of the United Council meet to ensure their interests are provided for in the state budget process. The United Council also coordinates one statewide campaign each year.

United Council plans to advocate a fully funded tuition freeze this year with its campaign "Wisconsin Needs Higher Education Reinvestment."

The campaign has three aspects: access, quality and diversity.

To run the campaign, the students participate in two lobby days and a day of action across campuses. The group also holds committee hearings to discuss which issues they want to act upon.

"Group members hope to maintain access to higher education without sacrificing quality," Interim Executive Director Lilia Williams said.

According to Williams, the organization approves of Gov. Jim Doyle's budget proposal to increase financial aid as well as his support for domestic-partner benefits.

Specifically, the United Council said it hopes to see the proposed financial aid administered as graduate student and minority grants. Williams added the United Council supports keeping UW competitive in terms of equal work for equal pay.

The organization, however, is not pleased with every facet of Doyle's budget, including a provision to increase tuition across the system by 4 percent.

United Council said it would not advocate a tuition increase.

To work with state legislators, student members plan to attend Joint Finance Committee public hearings this spring.

Founded in 1960, the United Council is a non-partisan, non-profit, student-funded and student-directed organization.

UW System spokesperson David Giroux said United Council is an important part of the organization because it encourages "any number of students, faculty and business community members to work for higher education and success."

In 1971, Wisconsin passed a statute granting students a legal share in the "rights and responsibilities" of institutional governance. In order to fund the United Council, the Board of Regents approved a "mandatory refundable fee" required by all students on member campuses.

Past victories include securing a $10 million increase in financial aid for the Wisconsin Higher Education Grant; expanding protections for all students and faculty through the UW non-discrimination policy; and passing a bill strengthening sexual assault statutes by including alcohol as an intoxicant.

Feedback

Show all comments

Hide anonymous comments

Anonymous (February 20, 2007 @ 8:25am):

ummm...propaganda? right before we vote to keep funding them in the spring election? way to play right into their cards, Sarah. UC is a corrupt and dysfunctional group of people, with constantly resigning, staff and leadership. the last budget cycle, they couldn't come up with a clear stance and pretty much screwed up any student voice we had up at the capitol.

not to mention the colleges across the state who voted to pull out of UC last year. the organization is a complete joke.

why do we need people lobbying on our behalf when we we can SEE the capital from campus?

Anonymous (February 20, 2007 @ 12:21pm):

the previous comment was completely ignorant. if you take a look at the facts you'll see that states with organized state student associations, like UC, have lower tuition and a much stronger student voice on the issues students care about. UC also had the strongest voter registration and get out the vote campaign in the country.

what does "seeing" the capitol have anything to do with making an impact on real decisions being made there?

Anonymous (February 20, 2007 @ 3:20pm):

UC is absolutely worthless.

Maybe if they'd spend more time actually working on tuition instead of so-called "student issues" that only .05% of students are affected by, maybe they'd be able to point out something they've actually accomplished ever.

But I'm not holding my breath.

Anonymous (February 20, 2007 @ 6:46pm):

Indeed United Council will be on the ASM ballot this spring for the UW Students to decide if they should pay for the services of lobbyists. Funny how we are told to hate such people but pay for our own. It is also funny how under Doyle's budget tuition will most likely increase the same amount he proposes to increase student aid. This will force many of the middle class students to have a much harder time paying for school and possibly have to leave.
- Germain E. Stemme

Anonymous (February 20, 2007 @ 8:21pm):

VOTE NO TO UC THIS SPRING!

Anonymous (March 15, 2007 @ 4:04pm):

Vote Yes to United Council. What other organization do we have as students to make our voices heard on the state-wide level. When we are in class or writing on this blog right here, for $2.00 we have staff advocating on the issues we choose. Fighting for issues such as lower tuition, increased financial aid, and diversity on campus. Get it together. I'm voting yes!

Add a comment

We welcome your thoughts, but please keep your feedback thoughtful, on-topic and respectful. Offensive language, personal attacks, or irrelevant comments may be deleted.