This year's candidates for the top position in student government both intend to expose the happenings of Budget Planning Council meetings after complaints by students and media that the council's proceedings are too often veiled.
The president of Ohio University's Student Senate sits on OU's Budget Planning Council, a group that makes financial recommendations to Ohio University President Roderick McDavis.
Academic Affairs Commissioner Jesse Neader, running for senate's top spot on the SOUND ticket, plans to open the Budget Planning Council meetings to members of the press, if not the public.
Having students who are emotionally attached to issues and will make a ruckus (at meetings) is not the goal
Neader said. But we need to at least have media there. There's a certain code of ethics that reporters follow that won't mess up (Budget Planning Council) meetings.
Opening the council meetings to the public was one of current-Senate President Robert Leary's goals when he ran last year. Leary said he has learned why meetings are closed and has realized that student efforts could be better focused in other areas, including room and board increases and proposed cuts to campus recreation.
Executive Vice President and Provost Pam Benoit said Leary spoke to her once regarding opening the meetings soon after The Post ran a story about the meetings being closed.
City and Council Affairs Commissioner Emily Hanford, running for president on the Prepared to Engage, Act and Respond (P.E.A.R.) ticket, proposed having the council release an agenda before each meeting and to have full minutes posted online within a week of each meeting.
If it were just up to me (the meetings) would be open Hanford said. But (P.E.A.R.) is comfortable with this middle ground.
The council does not always post an agenda before its meetings or publish minutes immediately following. In the case of the council's July 31 meeting, during which members recommended the first of two 3.5 percent tuition increases, the minutes were not posted online for five months.
People have to be able to express their opinions very openly (at council meetings)
Benoit said. Lots of times
(the council) is working through things before they're hatched and before they're ready to talk about them.
The Budget Planning Council recently proposed a 5 percent room increase and a 3 percent board increase, in addition to a 3.5 percent tuition increase. McDavis approved a 2.5 increase in room fees and a 2 percent board increase after senate passed a resolution encouraging him to consider smaller increases - a decision Leary said indicated the administration's willingness to listen to students.
Hanford opposed the increases, saying that she would rather students pay less and live in un-renovated housing. Neader said he supported the initial increases because they provided funds to renovate dorms in the future.
rm279109@ohiou.edu
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Rebecca McKinsey
