A referendum on the next Associated Students, Inc. (ASI) election ballot could see Fresno State student leaders paid for their time in office.

ASI President Graham Wahlberg proposed at the April 18 ASI senate meeting to pay students for participating in student government. The proposed legislation would give students who hold a position in office monetary compensation for their duties upon entrance of student government.

“What makes the proposal so great is that it essentially creates 17 jobs for students,â€Â Wahlberg said. “We would be recognizing student leaders for their time spent here.â€Â

Currently, ASI members work as student volunteers. However, the volunteer aspect of ASI put several of its senators and would-be senators in a bind, especially in the current economy.

In the last few months, seven members of ASI have resigned from positions. “Students have other obligations,â€Â Wahlberg said. “It’s too expensive to live and volunteer this many hours without some type of compensation.â€Â

Pay used by other CSUs to keep senators in office

The plan to compensate leaders was devised as a strategy to keep students in office. With the help of other student leaders at other California State University schools (CSUs), Wahlberg began drafting a policy that would potentially motivate student leaders and encourage continued participation in student government.

“I talked to other senate leaders at CSU East Bay and CSU Long Beach and asked them how they managed to keep their senate members for extended periods,â€Â Wahlberg said. The solution, he found, was paying senate members for the responsibilities they undertake while in office.

“By and large, senators are paid on almost every other campus,â€Â Wahlberg said. “It’s interesting that it has never been thought about here.â€Â

Paying students for their participation in student government is not an uncommon practice throughout the CSU system. Of the 23 CSUs, most campuses offer stipends to student leaders. Recently, Wahlberg contacted 12 universities to discuss the proposal. Of the 12 campuses, including CSU Long Beach and CSU East Bay, nine paid their ASI members.

“Of the three campuses that don’t pay their student leaders, they are either working on a plan to begin paying their leaders or they don’t have the resources,â€Â Wahlberg said.

Wahlberg, who̢۪s optimistic about the plan, says that paying senators would do two things: reward senators for their hard work and keep them in office.

“Time spent here is time that senators could be spent earning,â€Â Wahlberg said. “Paying senators creates and maintains a level of professionalism and prestige for ASI.â€Â

Wahlberg: ‘No fee increases for students’

The proposal is currently being retooled, but under the new proposal the 17 elected members would receive a stipend — compensation for student leaders for service to ASI in the capacity of an appointed officer — for their hours spent per week over the course of the academic year.

“The money comes directly from ASI’s budget,â€Â Wahlberg said. “It’s money we already have, so there will be no fee increases for students.â€Â

Student leaders will receive part of the $20,000-$25,000 budget established at the beginning of the academic year.

When the proposal goes to vote, Wahlberg believes that students will vote in favor of the referendum because it creates job opportunities.

“The stipend would bring about changes on a school level because we would have a continued staff,â€Â Wahlberg said.

“Imagine what we would see if our senators stayed on for a full year.â€Â