Last week 7 percent of students rocked the vote in the ASM Spring elections. I would call that a relatively pathetic turnout, but that's not what I'm here to talk about. Instead, I'd like to discuss the vote of confidence on the Iraqi Student Project.
For those of you who may not be aware, the initiative, proposed by the Campus Anti-War Network, plans to raise $90,000 to bring five Iraqi students to UW-Madison. It's a worthy cause, no doubt, but the proposed means for raising the necessary funds are a logistical nightmare. The plan calls for a mandatory increase in tuition to offset the cost of the Iraqi students' tuition.
The initiative was placed on the ballot after the Campus Anti-War Network amassed 2,300 signatures. The initiative received fewer votes than the signatures collected, but it still managed to pass in the ASM elections. From April 1 to 3 there were 1,713 students who voted for the Iraqi Student Project referendum and 994 who voted against it.
What now? The proposition has passed, but other than that, little has changed. Before the plan can take effect, the Board of Regents must approve the change in tuition. The architects of the proposal intend to seek additional support, most notably from the Teachers' Union, before presenting the issue to the Board of Regents, but the poor turnout and marked dissent within the election hardly sends an overwhelming message of support for the project. Given the circumstances, the Board of Regents will likely not be moved to include this tuition increase in the next budget. Even with the support of the Teachers' Union, the plan seems to have little, if any, chance of passing - and, at least in my opinion, rightfully so.
I don't think raising tuition, even just a little, is the right way to fund this proposal. Several supporters of the plan have pointed out how a $1 tuition increase really is trivial in light of everyday expenses.
Yet, in reality, $1 a semester isn't the real issue - it's the bigger picture and the principle that frustrates me. If we raised tuition $1 for every worthy cause, tuition would be unfathomably expensive (instead of just ridiculously expensive).
Frankly, I'd be more inclined to propose a tuition increase to extend scholarships to the impoverished youth in Wisconsin who are forced to join the military as a means of paying for their own education. After all, that gesture might actually strike a much bigger blow to the military-industrial complex, but, once again, that isn't the issue.
The Campus Anti-War Network seems to be doing little more than spinning its wheels in the method it has adopted. And, while the group is getting a fair bit of press for the time being, it's hard to say whether the end result will really benefit anyone.
To many, it seems fairly obvious that the proposal will effectively go nowhere in its current manifestation. It will almost certainly be rejected, as the university will not raise tuition for a superfluous undertaking (even a small increase, and even for a worthwhile cause), and I must say that I agree.
On the other hand, if the board does choose to raise tuition, wouldn't the funds be better used for retaining some of our accredited professors so that if Iraqi students do get here, we'll still be a respected university? Now look who's pipe dreaming ...
I am against the plan of raising tuition for ISP both in principle and based on the fact that it's ultimately a dead end. However, I don't necessarily think the ultimate goal of the ISP is a bad idea. It is the means that I find flawed, as they will leave little recourse after the likely rejection by the Regents.
Instead of this long, protracted and ultimately futile process, why don't the architects of this proposal seek to fund the initiative independently?
Instead of raising everyone's tuition, CAN could raise the money through donations from students, professors, alumni and anyone else who feels inclined to donate. Instead of canvassing for signatures, why weren't they seeking donations? This would certainly circumvent the bureaucracy necessary for the current plan to work.
Furthermore, the result would be a grassroots campaign of charity and humanism of which we could all be proud, instead of a mandatory tuition increase which was contested by those in the know and accepted complacently by the vast majority of those who don't pay attention to these matters. At the very least, it would end the debate about tuition and make it a debate about whether it is a worthwhile and conceivable undertaking.
Even if the independently funded plan fails to provide the full $90,000, it still would likely produce enough money to extend at least one scholarship to an Iraqi student. Certainly that is better than nothing, which is what the current course of action will most likely yield.
Frankly, I wouldn't be surprised if a well-organized drive could raise more than the desired amount. Hell, I'd even donate double the asked amount. $2? That's still less than a cup of coffee ...
Matt Jividen is a senior majoring history. Please send responses to opinion@dailycardinal.com.
