Affordability and Accountability

The main responsibility of the AS President, as well as any AS Board member, is to represent the views of their constituency. Students should vote for a candidate who will approach issues in a way consistent with their views. In other words, students need to vote for someone who will deliver. While I have worked on many issues throughout my term as VP for Legislative and Governmental Affairs, the two themes that have been present consistently have been affordability and accountability.

The average Western student pays over $400 per quarter on mandatory fees (S&A, Alternative Transportation, Student Technology, Health Center, Student Recreation Center, Renewable Energy, and Building Fees), and of course there is the quarterly $1,363 for tuition and over $2,000 for housing and dining. When one factors in all the necessary expenses attached to a WWU education, the average in-state student rate is over $16,000 per year.

As a public university, Western has a responsibility to provide a high quality learning experience at a reasonable price. I am of the opinion that the university has done a much better job than the other public institutions in Washington, but there is always room for improvement. As the AS President, I would work hard to ensure that Western students could afford the world-class education we are receiving.

Of course, it’s not enough to say I will do that, I must also explain how I will accomplish this goal, and ultimately deliver when elected.

The first thing I will do is work to minimize the increase of fees levied against students. Obviously, with university growth and inflation, tuition and fees must be raised to provide the same level of service to students. That doesn’t give the university free reign to raise fees on a whim. I will make sure every increase is heavily scrutinized and those increases are of absolute necessity rather than passing desire.

Secondly, I will hold the university and AS accountable in how we spend every single dollar. Throughout my time on the Board of Directors, I have been very passionate about how the AS spends money. Although the AS has a budget of over 2 million dollars, after one factors in the large amounts of money devoted to salary and the operations of each respective office, there is relatively little available to devote to supplemental funding of events and programs by AS offices or clubs. My goal is to expand on the policies of fiscal responsibility brought by this year’s board. That is not to say I want to hinder the creativity of clubs or offices in programming, rather I take pride in their ability to create first-rate events. I just want to ensure we are as efficient as possible with student money.

Lastly, I will put forth great effort to bring increased state funding to campus so the costs to students for various programs and projects are curtailed. My extensive legislative experience will give me the tools necessary to represent the student body’s interests when it comes to legislative support. The more money the university can get from sources apart from the students, the easier it is to limit the amount of financial strain placed on students.

So please, when thinking about your choice for AS President, remember that an AS President must be able to represent and defend your views and interests. If for nothing else than to make certain you get the most bang for your buck.