Wednesday, April 16, 2008
In the face of powerful lobbying from special interest groups, the Student Senate has lost some of its autonomy. Senate needs to adopt rules that will increase transparency and limit the amount and type of gifts it can receive.
Last week’s election offered students the opportunity to yield their most powerful check over the governing body that represents them — a vote. Not surprisingly, turnout was low. Only 4,207 students voted for president and vice president. The first step in reviving interest from students is making sure the issues they care about most passionately are the ones their representatives are focused on. Although ethics reform isn’t a hot-button issue, it is the first step in re-centering Student Senate around the students.
All gifts senators receive need to be publicly documented, allowing constituents to evaluate their senator’s interests. The senate could look to the United States Congress for guidance on what gifts are acceptable. Under congressional rules, all gifts must be unsolicited, cannot be valued at more than $50 and congressmen cannot receive more than $100 in gifts per calendar year. Whether Student Senate adopts the congressional guidelines or simply publishes a document of all gifts received, transparency needs to increase to ensure that students are being represented and not special interests.
Starting in Fall 2007, executive leadership in the senate received scholarships from the University administration. Kansas Athletics Inc. has, at the same time, continued to offer senators free tickets to games, with out-of-state trips and access to the chancellor’s box at Memorial Stadium for some executive leaders.
Thomas Cox, senior student senator from Shawnee, deals directly with these issues. Cox sits on the Chancellor’s Advisory Board on Athletics where he meets with Lew Perkins, Athletics Department representatives and the chancellor twice a semester to discuss Student Senate and its relationship with the Athletics Department.
In the past, Cox said he was able to obtain tickets to a football and basketball game through this relationship and that he was “afraid to lose such awesome perks.”
Cox went on to say “it hit me that I was completely failing to serve the student body like I was elected to do, because I put something else before the students.”
According to Cox, none of this is against any current Student Senate rules, as the senate does not have any rules governing gifts.
Cox said these perks and the fear of losing them led him to not think or act independently in regard to the Athletics Department.
Cox is currently preparing to present legislation that would ban any gift from the Athletics Department to senators.
Burdett Loomis, professor of political science, indicated this situation was “definitely in a gray area.”
Although Loomis voiced concerns, he also pointed to benefits that gifts can have. For instance, “it’s not illogical that the student body president or student body vice president come to these [events]. That’s what you do in politics,” he said in regards to executive leadership having access to the Chancellor’s Box at Memorial Stadium.
Loomis pointed out that having student representatives speak to leaders, such as the governor or chancellor at a game, can move the often slow wheels of bureaucracy forward and perhaps bring benefits to students.
Although moving the slow wheels along is important, ethics should not be sacrificed for expediency. A senate that runs on this principle is best-suited to lead itself back to a representation of the students and not special interests.
Alex Doherty for the editorial board
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Comments
Editorial: Better to receive? Not for Senate
Well, that's honesty for you.
Editorial: Better to receive? Not for Senate
Seriously...the mark of a true representative is someone who can take their gifts and drink their booze and still have the ability to vote against a lobbying force. I also enjoy how Cox openly admits he has been a puppet and then claims he knows the solution.
Editorial: Better to receive? Not for Senate
I think that a no to athletics may be going a bit to far, or singling out a single entity. I like the idea of senators having to report gifts they received. Publish it in the Kansan every year before elections, and students can really see who their senator/coalition was actually voting for. If we are to ban gifts from athletics, then perhaps we should ban ALL gifts from any entity.
I will support this ammendment to rules and regs because it is a step in the right direction, however Cox made a mistake by singling out Athletics. It will be interesting to hear debate on this tonight.
Editorial: Better to receive? Not for Senate
Man everyones a critic. lol. I wasn't just singling out athletics, I was just writing a bill that students want to be written and they were singling out athletics. lol. Secondly to penguin, whos user name I admire, I took gifts over a year ago and this year stopped. I could have taken gifts still and then voted against them, but I decided the best option was to just not take gifts and try to set a better standard. It took me being part of the problem to realize there was a problem at all. What people need to realize is Athletics is not evil, they are smart and hard working and senate is not evil, its just selfish. What fixes the problem is getting rid of the selfishness from senate.
Editorial: Better to receive? Not for Senate
I think that it is ok to limit the gifts from outside interests, but the problem goes to definition. I would suggest looking at KS State Regulations on this too. However, I know some KS Legislators that look at the rules and would rather not accept any gifts than have to deal with the aftermath.
I really think the tuition payments/scholarships are much more disturbing. As tuition continues to rise, it appears that it will simple be more economically feasible to try to win your tuition...even if you have to put out some cash up front.
Editorial: Better to receive? Not for Senate
While I have never received a 'gift' from athletics, I have received gifts from the Chancellor's office along with other departments on campus. Why is it that Athletics is the only targeted dept? I do not see a problem with this, they are being rewarded for their hard work in Senate.
Editorial: Better to receive? Not for Senate
I worked hard, but I didn't need "gifts". It's one thing when after a session of University Senate the Chancellor has faculty, staff, and student representatives to his house for a drink and some discussion. It's another thing when the Alumni Association buys United Students pizza the night before elections last year (dunno about this year).
Editorial: Better to receive? Not for Senate
Old Gold Legs...an advisor who happens to work for the Alumni Association who has advised several of us for different organziations bought us free pizza out of her pocket. Lay off of them...people get gifts from people everyday guys...I just went to the rock chalk ball and then the week before that to the final four (which the lottery was a gift under the new bill because it wasn't open to all students). But you know what, it's ok because it's still ok to do be friends with Athletics because they are the foundation of this university, otherwise what would make KU different then surrounding universities.
Editorial: Better to receive? Not for Senate
I don't know if bureaucratic organizations should strive to be "friends". Sometimes friends have a hard time telling each other when they're wrong. Not to say Student Senate shouldn't have a working relationship with the Athletics Department, but I definitely don't think making sure senators are friends with Lew and company or any organization is more important than considering student interests first.
Also, athletics and sports are great and all but if that is the main distinguishing figure of the University, how exactly does that help the other 24,000 undergrads who aren't in athletics when they leave this university. Even with the athletics people, how many of them will go pro? Point being, an overwhelming number of people are here to get an academic degree. I would hope that would be the distinguishing factor of any university, and sports can remain something we cheer for, not try to run a University around.
Editorial: Better to receive? Not for Senate
The UDK receives $95,000 annualy from Student Senate via student fees.
Since the UDK is both affiliated with a campus department AND a 3rd party (both against funding rules), don't you think the Senate should take the UDK's advice and pull funding from all those organizations --- not just athletics, but the UDK itself.... or is the UDK just talking out of both sides of their mouth?
It would only be fair. And based on this wack editorial board, maybe it's the right thing too.
Editorial: Better to receive? Not for Senate
The free advertising isn't really free. It's an additional $30,000 that Senate purchases each year.
Editorial: Better to receive? Not for Senate
I think one thing to remember is that Student Fee dollars do not work the same way as money from Senate Appropriation, Line-Item, or Reserve Account. The fees represent many different student services that might not otherwise be possible without student fees. They are also not required to conform to the same rules that govern those other accounts.
The media fee is always one that people want to cut. In fact it comes in about 3-5 year cycles that someone wants to eliminate it. This seems especially true in terms of Senate coverage. The last time, I remember someone from the Kansan informing Senate that it made up like 4-6% of their total budget. I am guessing it might be the same or less now. As a result, the message of we want change just means that the Kansan has to work slightly harder for ad revenue.
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