Ohio University's Student Senate approved a $4,000 funding transfer to the Department of Residence Life yesterday.
The transfer will fund a budget increase of $15 per Residence Assistant this year for hall activities. The Senate's general fund will provide $500 to Residence Life and the Student Activities Commission will award the remaining $3,500.
This is the first step in the process (of increasing RA compensation)
said Vice President Sally Neidhard.
In his report to the Senate, the Vice President of Student Affairs Kent Smith said Vision Ohio allocated $150,000 to increase RA compensation this year.
The better RAs that we can attract the more likely we can have a greater impact on retention and students have a more quality experience in the residence halls
Smith said.
New RAs currently receive a $1,445 quarterly discount on room and board and a stipend of $2,140 yearly.
Both the Senate and Smith said the final goal is 100 percent RA compensation.
I really wanted to A) just to reward their efforts
B) show that senate cares about them and C) show that we're working to get them to where they should be ' the levels of funding that they should be
said President Michael Adeyanju.
In addition to increasing RA compensation, the Senate created a list of goals for the year at last weekend's leadership retreat, which cost Student Affairs and University Advancement $2,000.
Neidhard said enrollment growth is outpacing the growth of off-campus housing.
We need to address the fact that students are moving further and further out just because the number of students are growing at our university
but housing is not necessarily keeping up with that
Neidhard said.
Other goals include reviewing new state and national legislation enacted over the break, addressing disputes between landlords and students living off-campus and increasing senator-to-constituent communication.
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talk to ten of your constituents
Neidhard said. That way we can have substantive discussion.
