The Associated Student Government voted unanimously Wednesday evening to decrease the cost of University Police coverage for on-campus student groups’ events.
Many student groups now have to reserve police coverage for security purposes costing $50 hourly per officer, but the bill calls for a 10 percent discount if the groups reserve coverage at least 30 days before the event.
“It doesn’t seem like a ton of money, but in the long run, it’s a lot,” said Nicole Mash, ASG executive vice president and the bill’s author.
The bill calls for no penalty to be assessed if groups cancel their event at least 10 days before it is scheduled to occur.
Student groups now pay for security from their own accounts, or they must petition the Student Activities Finance Board to assist them. More than $30,000 of the Student Activities Fee and thousands more from student groups goes to UP, said Mash, a Weinberg senior. She said she hopes the bill will take effect in the fall.
“It looks promising,” she said. Mash said the next steps are to discuss the bill with UP and William Banis, vice president of student affairs.
Senators said they were pleased with the unanimous vote.
“I was on Mayfest last year, and (police coverage) is really expensive,” said Gia DiGiacobbe, an Education sophomore.
The $5 per hour decrease “doesn’t seem like a big deal, but if you have an all-day event like Dillo Day, it is a big deal,” she said.
Others said all groups would benefit from the bill.
“Any price break that would benefit anyone is a good thing,” said Interfraternity Council Sen. Brandon Brooks, a Weinberg junior. “It does cost a lot. Any way we can save money, we’re all for it.”
ASG also passed a bill calling for a target pass/no credit option for the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences. The bill would allow students taking Weinberg classes to declare a target grade at the beginning of the quarter. Students who do not reach their target receive a P/N grade.
Target grading is available for elective classes in the Schools of Communication, Music, and Education and Social Policy.
ASG Academic Vice President Tamara Kagel, a Communication junior, said students would have more incentive to work if they were rewarded with the appropriate grade.
ASG now will petition Weinberg faculty and administration to implement the grading option.
College of Commerce and Industry Sen. Diana Wielocha, the bill’s co-author and a Weinberg freshman, said she hoped the bill would influence other schools such as the Medill School of Journalism to also adopt the policy.
Senators also voted to decrease the term of campuswide referendums from four years to two years.
Student opinion — and more importantly, a large portion of the student body — changes considerably in four years, said Matt Hall, a College Republicans senator and the bill’s author.
“It directly puts the students in charge,” said Hall, a Communication sophomore.
