2008 Woodie Awards
Bill threatens future of publications
Editorial
Issue date: 4/27/07 Section: Opinion
- Page 1 of 1
The future of UST's student publications is in danger once again. The Student Government Association unanimously passed Senate Bill No. 31 last month, removing the Cauldron and Laurels from the Student Organizations Committee and placing them under the rule of the administration. According to the bill's skeletal provisions, funding for the publications would come from a newly established publication fee. A publications board, headed by the vice president of academic affairs, would make strategic planning decisions previously made by the student staffs. Content-related decisions would not to be made by the board-at least that is what we have been told.
Questions raised by the Cauldron regarding issues such as when and how the board would be established and in what manner funds would be allocated, have been met by vague answers. The bill itself detailed no procedure for such matters, and neither SGA nor the Vice President for Student Activities discussed the bill with any representative from the Cauldron or Laurels prior to its drafting.
The Cauldron filed a referendum against the bill and is currently awaiting review by the Judicial Council. Until Senate Bill No. 31 is upheld by the JC, it is not effective; however, action taken by the SGA at its annual SOC allocation meeting would suggest otherwise.
All other SOC members were invited to present budget proposals for the 2007-2008 school year, excluding the Cauldron and Laurels. This marked a change in procedure from any year in the respective histories of both publications. As of press time, no funding is in place for either the Cauldron or Laurels for next year.
According to the SGA Constitution, Article VIII, Section 3, division of the student activity funds requires a constitutional amendment. Senate Bill No. 31 separated the student fee into three parts, including one to fund publications independently. This action, as a constitutional amendment, required a majority vote of the student body. No vote was solicited.
Under the constitution's provisions, the Cauldron and the Laurels are SOC members. Removing the publications from the committee without an amendment is unconstitutional in itself, and changing the way in which the organizations receive funding violates both organizations' rights as they are stated in the SGA's governing document.
The Cauldron does not necessarily oppose a publications fee; but rather, it objects to the manner in which the changes were made. Senate Bill No. 31 significantly alters the way the Cauldron and Laurels operate and the SGA's failure to address concerns from those organizations violated the rights of both as SOC members.
If the JC upholds the bill, no publications board is in place. It simply does not exist yet. The only board members outlined by the draft are the VPAA and one student representative, to be chosen from the SGA itself. Additionally, no funds could be collected from the publications fee until tuition is paid next fall. Therefore, there is no foreseeable way, based on the information stated in the bill, that an allocation will be made to either of the publications before the end of this school year.
Without an allocation by the end of the semester, the Cauldron will have no way to fund training conferences for a new staff, purchase necessary materials for the coming year or publish an issue within the first week of classes. The loss of these opportunities would be a significant loss for the publication as a whole.
One main reason given by the author of Senate Bill No. 31 for the necessity of a publications board is that the Cauldron and Laurels are "academic" rather than "student" organizations. When asked to explain the bill, he admitted that it was "difficult to explain in words." The Cauldron can only speak for itself.
Unlike the Laurels, the Cauldron is not produced in a class. All work done on the paper, including writing, editing, design, photography, ad sales, layout and other management functions, are performed by the student staff during our free time.
The Cauldron is created by students for the student body as a whole, and while it does provide experience and training for those in the communication department, those wishing to utilize it as an education tool must chose to do so on their own outside of departmental classes. Additionally, the Cauldron has always been open to students who are not communication majors.
True, the Cauldron is an academic training ground for future journalists, but the SGA could also be characterized as a training ground for future politicians. In that sense, it is no more an "academic" organization than the SGA itself. As of yet, no board has been established to oversee the SGA.
As an SOC member and as a student organization, the Cauldron strives to serve the University community as a credible and candid news source.
Senate Bill No. 31 should make students wonder whether or how long the Cauldron will continue to do so.
Unsigned editorials represent the majority opinion of the Cauldron editorial staff. All other columns and opinion pieces represent solely the opinion of the author.
Questions raised by the Cauldron regarding issues such as when and how the board would be established and in what manner funds would be allocated, have been met by vague answers. The bill itself detailed no procedure for such matters, and neither SGA nor the Vice President for Student Activities discussed the bill with any representative from the Cauldron or Laurels prior to its drafting.
The Cauldron filed a referendum against the bill and is currently awaiting review by the Judicial Council. Until Senate Bill No. 31 is upheld by the JC, it is not effective; however, action taken by the SGA at its annual SOC allocation meeting would suggest otherwise.
All other SOC members were invited to present budget proposals for the 2007-2008 school year, excluding the Cauldron and Laurels. This marked a change in procedure from any year in the respective histories of both publications. As of press time, no funding is in place for either the Cauldron or Laurels for next year.
According to the SGA Constitution, Article VIII, Section 3, division of the student activity funds requires a constitutional amendment. Senate Bill No. 31 separated the student fee into three parts, including one to fund publications independently. This action, as a constitutional amendment, required a majority vote of the student body. No vote was solicited.
Under the constitution's provisions, the Cauldron and the Laurels are SOC members. Removing the publications from the committee without an amendment is unconstitutional in itself, and changing the way in which the organizations receive funding violates both organizations' rights as they are stated in the SGA's governing document.
The Cauldron does not necessarily oppose a publications fee; but rather, it objects to the manner in which the changes were made. Senate Bill No. 31 significantly alters the way the Cauldron and Laurels operate and the SGA's failure to address concerns from those organizations violated the rights of both as SOC members.
If the JC upholds the bill, no publications board is in place. It simply does not exist yet. The only board members outlined by the draft are the VPAA and one student representative, to be chosen from the SGA itself. Additionally, no funds could be collected from the publications fee until tuition is paid next fall. Therefore, there is no foreseeable way, based on the information stated in the bill, that an allocation will be made to either of the publications before the end of this school year.
Without an allocation by the end of the semester, the Cauldron will have no way to fund training conferences for a new staff, purchase necessary materials for the coming year or publish an issue within the first week of classes. The loss of these opportunities would be a significant loss for the publication as a whole.
One main reason given by the author of Senate Bill No. 31 for the necessity of a publications board is that the Cauldron and Laurels are "academic" rather than "student" organizations. When asked to explain the bill, he admitted that it was "difficult to explain in words." The Cauldron can only speak for itself.
Unlike the Laurels, the Cauldron is not produced in a class. All work done on the paper, including writing, editing, design, photography, ad sales, layout and other management functions, are performed by the student staff during our free time.
The Cauldron is created by students for the student body as a whole, and while it does provide experience and training for those in the communication department, those wishing to utilize it as an education tool must chose to do so on their own outside of departmental classes. Additionally, the Cauldron has always been open to students who are not communication majors.
True, the Cauldron is an academic training ground for future journalists, but the SGA could also be characterized as a training ground for future politicians. In that sense, it is no more an "academic" organization than the SGA itself. As of yet, no board has been established to oversee the SGA.
As an SOC member and as a student organization, the Cauldron strives to serve the University community as a credible and candid news source.
Senate Bill No. 31 should make students wonder whether or how long the Cauldron will continue to do so.
Unsigned editorials represent the majority opinion of the Cauldron editorial staff. All other columns and opinion pieces represent solely the opinion of the author.