As a vote on the measure approaches, significant concerns have emerged about the cost and efficiency of a proposed program that would pay U volunteers $1,000 to help high school students with their college applications.
Tayler Clough, president of the student government, previously stated that he’s proposing a mentor program that would pay U student volunteers to go local high schools once a week to show students how to apply for college, with the hopes that they will come to the U. But a number of representatives from the Associated Students of the University of Utah Assembly and Senate, though broadly supportive of the program’s overall aim, say that the $15,000 per-year price tag is a concern, particularly in light of Clough’s efforts to amend the student government’s constitution to make the program permanent.
“I think I would wait a year or two and get some results first,” said Jake Zimmerli, an ASUU Assembly representative from the College of Business.
Zimmerli was among members of ASUU’s legislative branch who expressed general support for the program, though he said it might take some time to become effective.
“I don’t know if it will directly benefit us right away, but I think as more people get involved, it will be more beneficial,” he said.
Alicia Watkins, an ASUU Assembly representative from the College of Engineering, said she was reluctant to make a definitive statement on the proposal because she only had a basic idea of its details, but she said that changing the constitution might be premature.
“I would probably say it’s better to try it out for a year and see if it works and then make an amendment if it does,” she said.
On top of that, support for the program’s goal of boosting college enrollment and attendance hasn’t prevented some representatives from questioning whether the framework of the proposal will actually deliver results.
The way Clough is approaching the mentoring program is a waste of time and money, said Seth Welborn, the ASUU senator for the College of Engineering. Welborn said he’d like to see the scope of the mentor’s role expanded to include other aspects of high school life, pointing to the Big Brothers Big Sisters program as an example.
“You pick certain kids, and you become a mentor,” Welborn said. “You help them with everything.”
Welborn said that the proposal, as written, puts mentors in very limited contact with the high school students whom they’re supposed to help. He said that if he were in high school and someone met him once a year to urge him to fill out a college application, he’d likely forget about the whole thing.
“Other people would do that through the Bennion Center for free,” Welborn said, noting that he knows of at least two other senators who share concerns about the program.
On the question of the program’s price, however, Erica Sellers, an ASUU representative for the business college, said it represented an investment that could potentially come back to the school in the form of increased enrollment if it’s designed and executed effectively.
“If it is worthwhile, I don’t see a problem with changing the constitution,” she said.
But Sellers also said she sympathized with students who are tired of seeing their tuition rise. One of the worst annoyances for a student is to see ineffective programs funded by their tuition dollars, she said.
ASUU Assembly representatives Mike Balken and Wrandi Buxton both expressed enthusiasm for the program and said it is a worthy investment of funds, but they echoed concerns about making the measure permanent before its effectiveness has been demonstrated.
“That does sound like a good chunk of money, but it really depends on the outcome,” Buxton said.
ASUU Vice President Rachel Rizzo said she expects to have the ASUU Assembly vote on the proposal next January. From there, it would move on to the ASUU Senate. If they pass it, the program would begin as early as next Fall Semester.
Clough did not respond for comment.