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While many students left campus for the weekend, students from around the state came pouring into the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point to represent their respective university at the United Council of UW Students’ last General Assembly of the year.

While many students left campus for the weekend, students from around the state came pouring into the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point to represent their respective university at the United Council of UW Students’ last General Assembly of the year. Along with this gathering of students came a gathering of ideas regarding what United Council should be working on and the future of the organization as a whole.

According to the United Council’s Web site, “United Council of UW Students is one of the nation’s oldest, largest and most effective statewide student associations, representing more than 110,000 students on 21 UW campuses.”

United Council is a grassroots organizations focused on campaigns chosen and acted upon by students at these General Assemblies. Access and affordability of education are the main focuses of their grassroots campaigns. Students at UW-SP pay approximately $2 per semester to maintain membership in United Council and keep it running.

“United Council really works hard for the students. They’ve gotten a lot of victories this year, including a tuition freeze for the two year colleges,” said UW-SP student Melissa Phinney. “They really speak out for the minority, which is often underrepresented.”

UW-SP remains one of the few four year colleges with a membership in United Council as of this past March’s referendum. In the past month, many universities have been choosing to leave United Council, through student referendum, due to differing opinions as to what United Council should be working on and other issues.

Students from UW-La Crosse and UW-Oshkosh have most recently chosen to leave; a few other universities are soon to be coming up for referendum. United Council’s budget is supported by $2 that every student that belongs to a UW that is still in membership pays every semester, so it is drastically affected when campuses leave.

Even some UW-SP students are beginning to feel frustration with being a member of United Council.

“United Council isn’t worth students’ money,” said Robert Forseth, UW-SP delegate to United Council. “Every year UW-SP students throw approximately $40,000, plus whatever it is costing for us to attend General Assemblies and United Council events, at United Council for a united UW voice. However, the voice isn’t there. The Board of Regents put more value in the input of the Associated Students of Madison than they do United Council.”

Although there were many discussions about the future of United Council, there was not any discussion on the floor of the General Assembly. During the General Assembly, students voted for new leadership of the organization through the annual election procedures.

UW-SP student, Amanda Meyer, was elected to the United Council Board of Directors which helps to run the organization. UW-Milwaukee student, Josh Mann, and UW-Madison student, Dakota Kaiser, were elected to president and vice president of United Council respectively. Students also voted unanimously to host the Women’s Leadership Conference at UW-SP in November.