Most people may know we have a Student Senate. However, few know that we also have a Student Governor.Our Student Governor is Dave Sommers, from the West Allis Campus. He serves as President on the Student Senate there, but also is a member of the Student Life Committee, or SLC. According to Sommers, the SLC is made up of every president and vice president of each campus. “We work on all the issues between all four campuses,” Sommers said. Such issues include the UPass, and health care.
Sommers was also elected to be on the School Board, which requires him to attend monthly meetings with the MATC Board. There he acts as “reporter,” informing them of various events the Student Senate has been involved in at all the campuses. “I have to give a two-minute speech on what the Student Senate is working on or things we have done,” he stated.
As Student Governor, Sommers speaks to the State Board. “All 16 districts give a report on what they’re working on at their local school,” he said. And sometimes, if multiple colleges are working on the same issues, they’ll join forces.
However, he is more than a reporter; he works to lobby on students’ behalf. Sommers states that he works on a Legislative Task Force along with professional lobbyists.
“The Legislative Task Force does all the writing of the legislation that is submitted to the state to be passed,” he said. The purpose is to create legislation that will benefit either students or the college.
Other people that sit on the Task Force with Sommers include some members of the School Board, Teacher’s Union and Theresa Barry, Vice President of Student Services.
Sommers also helps to look over federal and state reports that show changes in legislations, and how they will affect technical colleges.
One of the recent issues he had to face was considering a tuition increase for next year. “We got a budget cut, where the UW system didn’t,” Sommers explained. This caused concerns of programs being cut, or classes being capped, so he decided to approve a 4.5% increase. His concern was that students would be unable to continue in desired programs, or be at risk of being wait-listed for their General Education classes.
However, Sommers doesn’t feel that students should be the only ones to bear the brunt of the state cuts. He plans to speak to the board and ask that teachers’ raises be frozen.
Using the recent reports of banks, he feels if students are going to have to pay an increase in tuition, teachers should have to accept a freeze in raises.
“Last year tuition was raised 5.5%, and this up-coming year it’s going up 4.5%, so the students have put in 10% over the last two years,” Sommers explained.
“So, if the state is cutting back, and the students are putting in, I think the teachers need to step up to the plate and freeze their contract until they meet our 10%.”
Another issue Sommers wants to bring up at the meeting is getting reviews on instructors put right on the MATC website.
“This has been my toughest year as far as teachers, and I think if there had been an evaluation on the website of teachers, I would not have taken two of my classes,” Sommers explained. He added that he has taken 17 classes, but “I have never felt this way about any other teacher.”
Sommers stated the board meeting will be held April 21 at 5 p.m. in Room 210.
Students are welcome to come to share their thoughts on this issue as well. If they can’t show up for the meeting, Sommers suggests students write letters expressing to the board either recommending reviews for teachers online, or the raise freeze, or even both. He strongly encourages students to get involved because they can help make the difference.
