The Rocky Mountain Collegian

Issue date: 3/24/09 Section: News

Media Credit: Brandon Iwamoto

Citing a higher level of financial transparency as the most important issue in this year's student government elections, Assistant Director of Legislative Affairs Shaun Reed and Sen. Melisa Panagakos announced their campaign for the top seats Monday.

Their biggest platform is establishing a list of university budget line items for officials in the Associated Students of CSU to view each year.

"There's only (16) … of us on SFRB so it's just a group think," Panagakos said. "If students had known for example, how much money athletics gets for traveling, it could have affected how we voted on the $15 fee increase."

Currently the Student Fee Review Board, a committee charged with approving student fee hikes, only gets a broad budget presentation from the university.

They said if students knew exactly how CSU allocates money, they would be more vocal about financial issues, and that the SFRB could more accurately represent the student body.

"Students deserve to see what they're paying for," Panagakos said.

Reed also said students should know if fee areas are not being utilized to the full advantage, because it would create more awareness about student resources.

They also hope to create a fixed-rate tuition model for out of state students.

"In-state tuition is out of our control," Panagakos said. " But we want to make sure that out-of-state students pay the same amount every year they're here."

Reed said his past experience in political campaigns will benefit their administration in reaching out to the CSU community

"Being a field organizer for the Obama campaign, I spent about eight to 12 hours a day organizing the community," he said. "I see CSU as a community, but someone just needs to connect the dots by uniting the organizations on campus."

ASCSU Beat Writer Shelley Woll can be reached at news@collegian.com.

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