However, only a minority of the student population knows the ins and outs of the special fees system. The process began during winter quarter, when each Voluntary Student Organization (VSO) submitted an application to the ASSU with its proposed budget and request for special fees.
Instead of putting forth a reasonable argument to change ASSU funding policies (“Something that Actually Needs Saving,” April 4, 2011), Zack Hoberg and Dave Grundfest chose to mislead and denigrate fellow Stanford students. Zack and Dave blame “90 graduate students” and the “ridiculous policy that one population can dictate the other’s funding decision” for the rejection of joint Special Fees for FLiCKS. Let’s examine two facts, one conveniently omitted, the other completely glossed over.
At this point, we’re as tired of the ASSU election process as anyone, but with the results in, we thought it important to point out an unfortunate result due to a ridiculous technicality. Thanks to exactly 90 grad students, FLiCKS lost it’s special fees for the coming year.
Student election season is here again, which means it is time for everyone on campus to be confused about Special Fees. Special Fees is an amorphous vat of money outside of general fees to fund student groups that can’t be funded through normal bureaucratic channels. Because of the opacity of student group finances, groups take advantage of the system and stretch the boundaries of Special Fees legitimacy for their own benefit.
As we mentioned last week, ASSU election season is already upon us. Good news is, one issue has pretty much been decided: what groups will receive additional funding from the undergraduate or graduate student populations — Special Fees.
Nine of the 16 Special Fees groups required to petition for at least a 10 percent increase in funding from last year fell short of the 695 signatures required to appear on the ballot in April, according to the web site of the ASSU Elections Commission. The final deadline to gather signatures was today at 4 p.m.
Various student groups have begun the petitioning process to get special fees requests on this year’s ballot, the largest of which topped $185,000.
On Feb. 14, Stanford’s Green Living Council (GLC) began its fourth annual Conservation Cup, which will run through March 15. The goal of the Conservation Cup is, according to the GLC website, “to use teamwork and the competitive spirit to promote sustainable behaviors while engaging the campus community in a fun event.” This is clearly a laudable goal, but there is little evidence that the Conservation Cup as it is currently structured is an effective way to achieve it.