ASMSU reps asked to work more hours

Editor’s note: This story was updated to reflect the actual number of hours worked by ASMSU’s vice chairpersons.

ASMSU’s Academic Assembly recommended this week that its vice chairpersons double their summer work hours to match a pay raise due to take effect in May.

ASMSU is MSU’s undergraduate student government.

Last summer, the assembly’s vice chairpersons were paid $2,304 for working a required 120 hours. Effective May 18, the assembly’s vice chairpersons will make $2,664 per semester to comply with Michigan’s wage minimum requirement.

“The chairs were making less than minimum wage for the hours that they were working,” assembly Parliamentarian Kristy Currier said.

ASMSU Chief of Staff Kara Spencer conducted a pay compensation study for every position within ASMSU, which led to pay increases for some positions, Currier said.

The assembly recommended Tuesday the vice chairpersons work 288 hours in the summer, or about 18 hours per week, rather than the 120 hours worked previously.

“Basically, in the code currently, it says 120 hours, which means basically the person would be making $22 an hour to do the work over the summer, which we feel is a waste of taxpayer money,” Currier said.

Given that the change is only a recommendation from the assembly, the vice chairpersons can choose not to fulfill 288 work hours, but Currier said they could face repercussions.

“It should be followed because there are reviews … so (a failure to work 288 hours) would be taken into account when the reviews of the chairs go on at the end of the summer,” she said. “So it will be a serious issue that would have to be dealt with. They could potentially be removed from their position.”

While chairpersons only can be removed by a vote of the assembly, summer hours will be logged in biweekly reports to ensure vice chairpersons are following the recommendation, Currier said.

The assembly attempted to change the code during its last session but failed to meet quorum for its final meeting, so the code change couldn’t be voted on.

“It needed to be fixed, and it didn’t get fixed last session,” assembly Chairperson Pro Tempore Brad McDonald said. “We’re putting a bandage on it right now but it will get fixed next year.”

Despite the increase in hours, McDonald said the chairs will have plenty of work to do this summer.

“There’s always academic governance stuff. Summer is a great time to get on your feet … making sure you understand our code of operations and preparing in terms of how to get more members for the assembly,” he said. “It’s a time to set up meetings with different administrators and begin to start a personal relationship with them.”

McDonald said some issues he wants the new session of the assembly to take up are the collegiate readership program, the Last Lecture series and a possible change in the university’s course repeat policy.

Another issue that could be taken up again in the fall is the potential tuition increase. Newly elected James Madison College representative Zach Gale said he joined ASMSU to help fight a tuition increase.

“I think one of the most contested things is the annual increase of tuition,” he said.

“I hope that we can work that out and that I can make MSU a place where students want to be.”

Staff reporter Kate Jacobson contributed to this story.