Apportionment Board responds to appearance of bias
Previous members of fee-funded boards can serve on AB
Lauren Moore/ Student Government Editor
Issue date: 12/2/05 Section: News
Members who have been on fee-funded boards in the past are currently eligible to serve as members of the Apportionment Board as long as they are no longer affiliated with that fee-funded board.
The main purpose of the AB is to decide where students' money will go, since the student activity fee they pay every year is meant to benefit them as a whole.
A bylaw currently exists which says that it is a violation for a student who is involved in a fee-funded board to vote at any Apportionment Board meeting.
Mark Bates, chair of the tuition and fee review committee, is in his second year of serving on the board, but since he is involved with Student Senate, he attends AB meetings as a non-voting member.
"Eight students can vote," Bates said. "The rest of the students are non-voting members. We have five people who don't vote, and they include three students and two advisers."
Although it is a violation to serve on AB while on a fee-funded board, there are some who used to be on fee-funded boards that are now on AB.
AB student member Maria Santoyo used to be the University Board chair, and sophomore Alex Robb used to work for Amp, formerly known as Pulse magazine.
Bates said although they have been on boards in the past that receive money from the AB, he believes that doesn't issue a conflict of interest.
"These are two people I think wouldn't have biases," Bates said. "I doubt it would happen. I have no qualms with them being on the board."
However, Bates said he thinks if it were someone else besides Santoyo and Robb, he would look for bias.
"I would look for it, but I wouldn't assume it," Bates said. "I would have to see it personally."
Santoyo said she doesn't think previously being on a fee-funded board correlates to having a bias on AB.
"(It) makes you more knowledgeable about what's being presented at the meeting," she said.
AB faculty member John Stimac said there is an apparent conflict of interest, but Santoyo shows no bias.
"Maria is very open-minded, and there is nothing against what she is doing," Stimac said. "She can answer the questions the board has."
Stimac said if the concern is taken to the extreme, then students who use the Student Recreation Center might be biased.
"One member of AB at one point was on the Rec Center staff, and she showed no bias," Stimac said.
Santoyo agrees with the bylaw currently in place. However, she said it gives people a reason to be suspicious.
"I think it would be a conflict if someone was on a fee-funded board while on AB," Bates said. "But I wouldn't expect them to do both in the first place."
The main purpose of the AB is to decide where students' money will go, since the student activity fee they pay every year is meant to benefit them as a whole.
A bylaw currently exists which says that it is a violation for a student who is involved in a fee-funded board to vote at any Apportionment Board meeting.
Mark Bates, chair of the tuition and fee review committee, is in his second year of serving on the board, but since he is involved with Student Senate, he attends AB meetings as a non-voting member.
"Eight students can vote," Bates said. "The rest of the students are non-voting members. We have five people who don't vote, and they include three students and two advisers."
Although it is a violation to serve on AB while on a fee-funded board, there are some who used to be on fee-funded boards that are now on AB.
AB student member Maria Santoyo used to be the University Board chair, and sophomore Alex Robb used to work for Amp, formerly known as Pulse magazine.
Bates said although they have been on boards in the past that receive money from the AB, he believes that doesn't issue a conflict of interest.
"These are two people I think wouldn't have biases," Bates said. "I doubt it would happen. I have no qualms with them being on the board."
However, Bates said he thinks if it were someone else besides Santoyo and Robb, he would look for bias.
"I would look for it, but I wouldn't assume it," Bates said. "I would have to see it personally."
Santoyo said she doesn't think previously being on a fee-funded board correlates to having a bias on AB.
"(It) makes you more knowledgeable about what's being presented at the meeting," she said.
AB faculty member John Stimac said there is an apparent conflict of interest, but Santoyo shows no bias.
"Maria is very open-minded, and there is nothing against what she is doing," Stimac said. "She can answer the questions the board has."
Stimac said if the concern is taken to the extreme, then students who use the Student Recreation Center might be biased.
"One member of AB at one point was on the Rec Center staff, and she showed no bias," Stimac said.
Santoyo agrees with the bylaw currently in place. However, she said it gives people a reason to be suspicious.
"I think it would be a conflict if someone was on a fee-funded board while on AB," Bates said. "But I wouldn't expect them to do both in the first place."
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