A new 'U' meets opposition

UMKC is lying to students about the cost and features of a new student union, according to an ad-hoc campus group.

Students for University Progress, a coalition of students who oppose the proposed student union, has launched a campaign against the initiative. Members of the group say they favor a new student union, but oppose the current plan and lack of information available.

"We feel at heart that the new student union is not the best thing for the university or for the students," said Tim Collins, leader of Students for University Progress. "I personally have issues with a lot of the advertising and a lot of the things that are going into the student union."

Student Government Association (SGA) President Sean McClain has misrepresented the cost of a new union to students, Collins said. The new union would cost students $16.75 per credit hour up to 12 hours. In addition, students would continue paying $6.02 per credit hour for the University Center. According to Collins, McClain only said last week that students would continue funding the University Center.

"I never mentioned the University [Center] fee going away," McClain said.

Collins also accused McClain of abusing his office to endorse a new union, funding his efforts with student dollars.

"In my opinion, he has been doing a lot of false advertising," Collins said. "Not only that, but he is using student fees that have been allocated to him to create T-shirts and posters to push this referendum, which according to the SGA constitution, is prohibited."

McClain's name and title are featured on posters contrasting the new union referendum with last year's initiative, which failed by 25 votes.

Article VIII, Section G of the SGA constitution states, "Although a member of the Student Senate or an officer of the Executive Council may participate as a member of the student body in a petition for an initiative, referendum or recall, the use of his/her respective SGA position is strictly prohibited."

According to an Oct. 29 income statement of the SGA operating budget, a payment of $1,428 was made to Alphi Creations on Oct. 18.

McClain said the money was used to purchase T-shirts urging students to vote. However, this was not a violation of the SGA constitution, because he was not expressly advocating for or against the new union, according to McClain.

The T-shirts read, "What U Want/A New Student Union/Vote."

McClain said all four members of the Executive Council approved the expenditures and are members of a steering committee for the campaign for a new union.

"The campaign is strictly an informational campaign," McClain said. "We view from SGA's standpoint that the only way for students to make an informed decision is just to get information out there. The campaign's not geared towards any other way. We never tell students to vote 'yes' or 'no,' we just merely ask them to vote."

McClain said such efforts are in line with SGA's purpose.

"We kind of think it's one of our civic duties to make sure students vote and come out for elections," he said.

Matt Williams of Students for University Progress said McClain is abusing the power of his office.

"He is clearly using student funds to do things that are outside of his realm as president," Williams said.

In an Aug. 16 e-mail sent to various students, McClain wrote, "The Student Government Association needs YOUR HELP. You have been identified as a Student Leader on campus and we are looking for Committee members to help pass a Student Referendum for a new Student Union this Fall Semester."

Williams said he is skeptical as to whether the proposed union would be able to accommodate increased enrollment and serve student interests.

"If we're going to build something, then let's get an actual plan that's going to work; something that students are a part of," Williams said. "It's been a consistent problem on this campus that when there are major building additions, when there are major changes in policy, the student involvement is nonexistent."

According to the ballot language for the union, students will not pay the $16.75 fee increase until the building opens in 2011. As to why the initiative must be voted on this fall, McClain said Sept. 3, "… to collect a student fee for the following year, it must be approved by the Board of Curators at their January Meeting."

Students in search of graphic representations, such as an architect's rendering or blueprints, of the proposed union will not find them.

"We haven't hired an architect yet, so we don't have any type of information like that," McClain said. "They don't hire an architect until the fee's approved because an architect, you know, costs a couple million dollars. It's not a good investment if the building's not going to exist."

McClain said the university does have a "conceptual plan" of how the union's space would be allocated.

"If anyone wants a copy of it, they can ask me for it," he said. "It will also be available on the Web site for the student union next week. We just have to make sure we're getting all the details worked about."

Two informational town hall meetings will be held this week. One is 6 to 7 p.m. tonight in Pierson Auditorium. The other is 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. Thursday at Hospital Hill in the Health Sciences Building, room 4301. Voting for the union takes place Nov. 14-16.

jseiden@unews.com