Stipend discontinuation looms

Author: Dina Magaril

The Finance Committee is preparing to review a proposal to discontinue or curtail stipend distribution to students in leadership positions on campus. Dean of Student Affairs Ann Hanson recently met with administrators from member schools of the New England Small College Athletic Conference to discuss the issue.

"I have long been surprised at Middlebury's practice of paying stipends to students leaders," said Hanson.

The argument against continuing the stipends, Hanson said, is that they defeat the purpose of a leadership position. She believes that holding such a position should be an honor in and of itself, and that paying the leaders goes against the goal and opportunity of leadership.

The finance committee said that it is not raising the student activities fee for next year despite a major increase in expenditures. The committee believes it could save a total of $14,000 by cutting stipends from its budget. Of the small liberal arts schools on the east coast, neither Wesleyan, Trinity nor Hamilton distributes any type of stipend to its student leaders. Besides Middlebury, Colby College is the only other comparable institution that continues to distribute stipends. Additionally, Williams College pays its house coordinators $1,100 per year, and Connecticut College pays its residential staff approximately $2,100 annually and provides free housing. Tufts only distributes stipends to students working outside of the regular school year.

Current Student Government Association (SGA) President Andrew Jacobi '05 said he believes that stipends exist to subsidize student leaders whose jobs require major time commitments and who are typically unable to or hold regular jobs. Jacobi also dismissed any notion that a student would take on a leadership position simply because a stipend is offered.

"If I really wanted to make money, I would just go bus tables at Mr. Up's a couple nights a week, spend less time doing it, and make a lot more money," said Jacobi.

"For positions that require work on weekends, vacations, summers, etc, and also contribute to the student body, stipends are not only good but necessary," explained Wonnacott Commons senator and SGA President-elect Eli Berman '07.5.

"Although they are extracurricular activities, many of these positions, with the time required, resemble real jobs," he continued. "Because the people who hold these positions contribute to the student body like few others, they should be rewarded for both their leadership ability and time."

Berman noted that some stipends might be unncessarily generous, but said that the College should do everything in its power to promote student leadership.

"If stipends were eliminated," Berman added, "many people on financial aid would not be able to pursue leadership posts. This would put the College at a severe disadvantage and seriously hurt the quality of leadership our student body could offer. There are some solutions to this problem already proposed. For example, creating a fund through the financial aid office that would work like Wonnagrants, giving stipends to those who need them for high leadership posts."

The Finance Committee also plans to reconsider which student leadership positions truly warrant stipend distribution. According to Hanson, there is an inconsistency as to who receives stipends and who doesn't. Some current positions that involve stipends are SGA president, Student Co-Chair of Community Council, Middlebury College Activities Board president, editor-in-chief and managing editor of The Middlebury Campus and Inter-House Council president.