Plain and simple, UW students need to become more aware of and informed about the student segregated fee process.
Every year, it seems, the Student Services Finance Committee and the student segregated fee process are the most controversial and contentious parts of student life. But you wouldn't know it by the lack of knowledge that the student body has about the segregated fee process and the number of students that take an interest in their representatives during the ASM elections.
As a former SSFC chair, I know firsthand that decisions the SSFC and ASM make to allocate over 28 million dollars in student fees are not just controversial, but also extremely polarizing and divisive for the students involved. There is always a fierce debate between a group of students who call for segregated fees to be significantly decreased or totally abolished and those students who support the concept of segregated fees and their uses by student organizations and other campus institutions.
However, what has always been the most troubling aspect of the seg-fee process is that the students who dedicate their time debating the outcome of your segregated fee bill are outnumbered by the students who are either totally ignorant about the seg-fee process, or simply do not care.
Student apathy and lack of information about how ASM distributes their fee dollars is no longer surprising to students involved, and though disappointing and discouraging at times, it is now generally accepted. However, this student apathy also has some very negative effects on the SSFC process, the overall system and those who participate in it.
For a handful of dedicated students who truly want to make the system work efficiently, responsibly and fairly, or in other cases want to take steps to change it for the better, lack of student knowledge of and participation in the system is frustrating.
More often than not, the end result of this frustration is that fewer dedicated students — responsible student leaders with the best interests of students in mind — participate in the process, because at times their participation and efforts to serve the students or make changes to the system seem futile and impossible. This is because, very simply, widespread ignorance and lack of attention and investment in the system by students allows a minority of students who understand the segregated fee system and have an agenda to dominate and manipulate it year after year.
This is illustrated most clearly by a few things: the number of students that resign from SSFC in disgust and frustration, the attitude and behavior of certain student organizations towards segregated fees and most recently, many of the extremely inflated budgets that SSFC has received this past year.
Though they have made efforts in the past to increase awareness by the student body, the primary responsibility to inform more students about the segregated fee process lies with ASM. Instead of resigned acceptance of student apathy towards segregated fees, ASM and SSFC need to rethink their current strategies and make widespread student segregated fee education one their top priorities.
Communicating the process in a less complicated, easily understandable format is a great start, even if it is just the basic information. The way the process is explained and the different steps, rules and policies that guide it can be complicated and hard to understand for someone who is not directly involved.
In addition, making the process more transparent to the general public, through use of the web and other methods that will directly reach students will also help. Students need to know in simply stated terms exactly where their money is going and how it will be spent when it gets there.
However, students on campus also need to take the initiative to understand the process and consume the information put out by ASM, student leaders and the student papers about segregated fees and how they are spent. Taking some time out to peruse the ASM website or talking to one of your representatives about the process to voice your concerns and questions is a great start. Getting to know SSFC and ASM candidates and voting in the spring ASM elections is another way to have your say in how SSFC distributes your money.
Some students may wonder why they should take the time to fully understand the segregated fee process and the answer is very simple: It's your money that is being distributed each semester and you should have direct feedback on how, where and why it is given out.
It is a widespread ignorance towards segregated fees that allows a few students to manipulate the system and push their personal agendas.
Janell Wise ([email protected]) is a senior majoring in political science and journalism.
