More than $100,000 in fees goes toward salaries Leah Williams

The Graduate and Professional Student Council went on record during Tuesday night’s meeting opposing the use of student fees to cover administrative salaries.

President Amy Sileven told the council during the committee reports that thousands of dollars in student fees are used to help cover a portion of the salaries for Vice Chancellor Larry H. Dietz and Associate Vice Chancellor Jean Paratore.

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Sileven reported $33,000 of each of the Student Center and Student Health Advisory fee account is used to cover Dietz’s $100,000 plus salary.

She also found out $25,000 of the Recreation Center fees is used for Paratore’s salary. Paratore is set to retire in December, and until her departure, the money will come out of the account. Once a replacement is found, the deduction would resume.

Sileven said she believes the current use of the funds is not the reason the funds were set up.

“Those fees were not created for the purpose of paying a vice chancellor’s salary,” she said.

Dietz met with Sileven and Undergraduate Student Government President Neal Young and confirmed money generated from student fees was used to pay his salary.

Student fees, along with tuition, are mandated as a condition of enrollment at SIUC and are used for a specific purpose. Authority to establish general student fees is reserved only to the Board of Trustees.

Sileven stressed GPSC does not have a problem with the University’s administration but believes student fees should be used for what they were created.

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Vice President for Administrative Affairs Eric Waltmire said he believes GPSC should actively oppose this use of fees.

“Taking actions is better than just sitting there,” he said. “We should definitely take a stand on this issue.”

GPSC unanimously opposed spending student fees to pay salaries for the vice chancellor and his assistant. A resolution against the use of student fees will be drafted for vote at the next meeting.

Sileven said GPSC is going to work on alternative proposals for the salaries. Other suggested avenues include state funds and tuition.

Reporter Leah Williams can be reached at [email protected]