One of the four proposals on the Student Senate’s agenda is the elimination of the executive position for the student vice president of business affairs.

The Student Senate will meet today at 7 p.m. in the Arcola-Tuscola Room in the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union. 

Student Senate Speaker Zach Samples said they have known since the beginning of the school year that they would have to cut positions or change compensation. 

He said members of the senate have spoken with students and administrators about the issue.

Samples said if the position were eliminated, many of its duties would be consolidated to the vice president of student affairs, a position that is held by Kaci Abolt.  

Student Body President Ed Hotwagner said the current proposal would not directly eliminate the position but would allow him to hold a special election and let the students decide.

“I can’t find anything in the bylaws that says I can’t hold a special election for this to get student opinion,” Hotwagner said. “I’m doing this as a curtsey to let them know and hopefully get their support on this issue.”

Mary Lane, the student vice president for business affairs, said even though her position would be eliminated, she supports the resolution. 

 “It is a good idea that we evaluate our positions every few years,” Lane said. “After looking at the two positions (business affairs and student affairs) I see that the work that is done in my office could be redistributed.”

The other proposal is one that would change the way the student executives are compensated. 

Each of the six executives receives a 12-credit hour scholarship of about $3200 with 2011-2012 tuition rates. 

The proposal would change that to a standard $2500 scholarship, which would be reevaluated every three years to coincide with inflation and tuition rates, he said.  

“I was really against this when it was proposed in Fall 2010, and I think with the time commitment we each put in we should be compensated for the time we could be putting toward school,” Hotwagner said.  “I still feel this way but with the current financial situation I can’t hold that opinion and still be fiscally responsible with the student’s money.”

Hotwagner said he wants to address the proposals now so he knows how to allocate the budget.

Also on the agenda are two spending proposals, one for their end of year Distinguished Professor Awards banquet and another for primary election awareness day.

 Amy Wywialowski can be reached at 581-2812 or alwywialowski@eiu.edu