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“The mission of the University of Michigan is to serve the people of Michigan and the world through preeminence in creating, communicating, preserving and applying knowledge, art, and academic values, and in developing leaders and citizens who will challenge the present and enrich the future.”
“This country cannot afford to educate a generation that acquires knowledge without ever understanding how that knowledge can benefit society or how to influence democratic decision making. We must teach the skills and values of democracy, creating innumerable opportunities for our students to practice and reap the results of the real, hard work of citizenship.”
Michigan has more problems than it should tolerate, and more solutions than it uses. That statement captures the spirit in which University of Michigan students first created PIRGIM and other Public Interest Research Groups (PIRGs) on college campuses across the country three decades ago. It is, in essence, the same spirit that has animated a variety of demands placed upon institutions of Higher Education – from Jefferson’s call “to bring into action that mass of talents” found in the general population, to the Morrill Act’s goal of developing the “agricultural and mechanical arts,” to Nixon’s “War on Cancer.” Meeting such demands is fundamental to the service mission of our Colleges and Universities – developing and applying knowledge to the address the great issues of the day. And for 30 years the student PIRG program has helped to fulfill that service mission. Whether crafting public policy that brings recycling or energy efficiency technology from the laboratory to the market, or ensuring that breaking academic research reaches the public and policy makers, student PIRG projects have furthered this mission. From the beginning, the desire to tackle critical social problems has been the primary motivation for students who’ve organized PIRG chapters. However, the PIRG program necessarily promotes a coexistent goal: civic engagement and civic skills. If it is social concern that sets the stage for involvement in a PIRG project, then it is a lesson in civics that is the main event. Inspired by the impulse to make the world a better place, PIRG projects involve a reasoned and critical examination of problems and potential solutions, a thorough understanding of civic institutions, and an opportunity to gain “hands-on” experience in the variety of ways that information, communication, and persuasion shape public policy. When one considers the list of contemporary societal challenges such as global climate change, financial privacy, and spiraling health care costs – to name just a few – it is clear that the need for programs like PIRG remains constant. Yet, the times do change. Today there is a growing chorus of academic and community leaders calling for action to address the persistent and dangerous decline of civic participation among the nation’s youth. PIRG, which is perhaps the nation’s first service learning program, is uniquely situated to meet this challenge. With its combination of a professional staff, in conjunction with the resources of the campus, and a system of student funding and governance, the PIRG program furthers the institution’s mission of teaching, research, and service. While PIRG’s contribution to each of these core missions could stand alone, what is most significant in the present context of declining civic participation is how elements of each are combined to create an unparalleled civic engagement and education program. Civic Engagement
"While some institutions of higher education are seeking ways to stimulate political engagement as well as other kinds of civic participation and leadership, thus far we have found that this is the aspect of civic responsibility that is least attended to in higher education."
Institutions of higher education have long been relied upon to inculcate the values and skills necessary to a functioning democracy. Thomas Jefferson described his expectations for the University of Virginia as “advancing the minds of our youth with the growing science of the times, and elevating the views of our citizens generally to the practice of the social duties and the functions of self-government.” More recently, University of Michigan President Mary Sue Coleman has expressed the need to “prepare young people for the problem-solving, team-based environment that they will encounter not only in the workplace, but as informed and entrepreneurial citizens in a diverse democracy."
There is, however, mounting evidence that more work needs to be done to meet the challenge of today’s civic culture. Voting, one basic measure of civic engagement, is lowest among youth, and with the exception of the most recent elections, youth voter participation has steadily declined since 18 year-olds were granted the right to vote in 1972.
Many other measures of civic engagement are equally distressing. The annual survey of the nation’s freshman by the UCLA Institute for Higher Education Research finds a decline by nearly half in the number of students who consider “keeping up to date with political affairs” important. The survey finds a similar decline in student discussion of politics. Furthermore, other trends in core values bode ill for a resurgence of civic spirit.
At the same time, the survey documents what may be the seeds of a renewed civic spirit: a decade-long trend of increasing volunteerism among students. 83% of freshman reported volunteering in 2003. This sort of engagement is confirmed in surveys conducted by Campus Compact and the Kennedy School of Government, among others. While the increase in volunteerism indicates that there is no lack of social concern among young people, many have pointed out that there is a considerable distance between direct service and full civic engagement. Indeed, it may well be alienation from the political process that has driven young people to volunteerism as a means of acting on social concerns.
The need for colleges and universities to strengthen their efforts at civic engagement has been voiced for many years. Perhaps the most eloquent advocate of this cause was Ernest Boyer. From his vision of the New American College, to his call for a Scholarship of Engagement, Boyer appealed to the higher education community to “help students to see that not only are they autonomous individuals but also members of a larger community to which they are accountable.” Many have applauded this vision, and yet the staff of the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching recently summarized their survey of the landscape by noting that “regrettably, our research found that undergraduate moral and civic education is not a priority on most campuses."
Campuses that have established a PIRG program consistently defy these trends. Several factors contribute to the program’s success, but two are particularly important: 1) As a student directed program, PIRG has the flexibility to tackle issues of immediate concern to students; 2) The professional staff provides the expertise and training necessary to transform what would otherwise be a theoretical exercise into a practical “real world” project.
- New Voters Project
One exemplary effort was at Iowa State University, where student volunteers pushed voter turnout up 300% in the five youth dominated precincts immediately surrounding campus.
- Renters’ Rights Project
Service
"Today's colleges and universities surely must respond to the challenges that confront our children, our schools, and our cities, just as the land-grant colleges responded to the needs of agriculture and industry a century ago."
A representative description of the Service mission of the University can be found in the mission statement of the University of Michigan, which states its aim to serve the state and nation “through conducting scholarly investigations and research…and applying this knowledge to the solution of the problems of our society.” There is a real commitment to service through out institutions of higher learning. Yet, when one considers the enormous task that is involved in simply accomplishing the instruction and research function of the University, it is not surprising that fulfilling the Service mission of the institution can require extraordinary effort. Indeed, the land-grant colleges - with their clear mission to forward the agricultural sciences – have always had “extension” programs to ensure that the knowledge base of the faculty is put to practical use in the field. The student PIRG program complements these “extension” efforts by aggressively promoting the application of knowledge to public interest issues. As well, PIRG projects engage students, faculty, and other members of the campus community in direct community service.
*Consumer Protection
*Water Watch
Teaching
“Universities possess significant interests in encouraging students to take advantage of the social, civic, cultural, and religious opportunities available in surrounding communities and throughout the country. Universities, like all of society, are finding that traditional conceptions of territorial boundaries are difficult to insist upon in an age marked by revolutionary changes in communications, information transfer, and the means of discourse.”
"Civic life and engagement is not just something one talks about or thinks or writes about, but also something one does and experiences. Undergraduate instruction in the natural sciences has long been based on a recognition that abstract theory cannot be fully understood or appreciated in the absence of hands-on experience in the laboratory or in the field. Could not the humanities and the social sciences also introduce 'lab' components, say, in the form of service learning?"
While advocates of service learning programs emphasize how extracurricular activity can teach democratic values beyond what is accomplished in the classroom, it is also the case that classroom learning is itself enhanced by “hands-on” extracurricular activities such as PIRG projects. It is probably self-evident that PIRG projects on environmental public policy could complement classroom study of Political Science and Biology. But consider the much broader possibilities. An Economics student’s study of market forces is more profound, and likely more engaging, when combined with a study of a “real world” problem such as the emerging market for alternative energy sources. Theories of Business Ethics are made more meaningful when coupled with a study of actual credit card marketing practices or the promotion of a shareholder resolution concerning environmental responsibility. The opportunities that the PIRG program provides to place classroom study in a context of immediate social significance increase the effectiveness of instruction.
Moreover, given the nature and structure of the PIRG program, there are many “professional” skills which are learned and practiced by students who participate in the PIRG internship program and as members of the student Board of Directors. Students hone their writing skills producing reports and educational materials; test strategies for marketing new ideas and information to the campus, the public, and decision makers; understand how to build and promote team work; and, as Directors of the organization they gain hands-on experience managing a non-profit corporation: from budgeting and bookkeeping to personnel and policy decisions.
There are also countless ways that the PIRG program – through its events, materials, publications, and activities – enriches the educational forum on campus. In addition to PIRG’s internship program, which engages thousands of individual students in structured projects with faculty and PIRG staff, many PIRG projects include forums and other events that reach a broad cross-section of the campus and contribute directly to the on-campus educational experience. Typical examples range from a forum of academic experts on poverty and homelessness, to an alternative energy fair on the central campus, to guest lectures by public officials.
* Clean Cars Campaign
* PIRG Internship Program
Research
“The solution of virtually all the problems with which government is concerned: health, education, environment, energy, urban development, international relationships, economic competitiveness, and defense and national security, all depend on creating new knowledge—and hence upon the health of our universities”
PIRG projects further the Research mission of the University in two ways: First, PIRG staff, as well as student volunteers and interns, collaborate with University faculty to conduct research projects. Secondly, some PIRG projects conduct independent research that builds upon work already accomplished by the faculty. The PIRG program’s relationship to research embraces the concept that new knowledge can serve society, while endeavoring to ensure that knowledge is in fact applied to societal needs.
* Affordable Textbooks
*California Energy Crisis
100 colleges and universities have augmented their civic engagement efforts, reinforced their core mission areas, and demonstrated a commitment to student-initiated programming by creating funding for a student PIRG chapter. There are PIRG chapters at campuses ranging from large state universities to community colleges and small liberal arts colleges. Viewed within the context of the overall university structure, the PIRG program is analogous to other programs such as multi-cultural centers, student tenant/legal services, state student associations, volunteer centers, etc. For students, faculty and administrators interested in establishing a PIRG chapter, there are a few core concepts to appreciate: A Professional Staff
The opportunity to tackle pressing social issues is what engages most students in the PIRG program. That opportunity exists in a meaningful way because students hire a staff of professionals – researchers, attorneys, advocates, and organizers – to work with them to design and implement PIRG projects. Just as understanding of scientific principles is best facilitated by recreating actual laboratory experiments, understanding of the public policy process is furthered by genuine participation in the public policy arena. The PIRG professional staff provide the tools necessary for that genuine participation: expertise on issues and the political process, of course, but also the consistent presence in the corporate board rooms and legislative chambers where decisions are made which is a prerequisite to meaningful participation.
Student Governance
The student PIRG program is entirely student controlled – governed by a student board of directors elected by students from member campuses. The student board is responsible for hiring the staff, adopting policy positions, and approving the organizational budget. Student governance creates some of the unique learning experiences that the PIRG program has to offer, such as financial management of a non-profit corporation, personnel decisions, and strategic planning. Additionally, since PIRG’s charter is non-ideological and without a set issue agenda, it is particularly important that the students involved in the program are the ones who determine the agenda and priorities.
Student Funding
Student PIRG chapters have traditionally been funded by student fees. Common funding mechanisms include allocations from the general student activities fee, or a separate fee created through a democratic decision making process. In light of the significant level of resources required for such a program, a demonstration of broad-based support on campus – whether through a referendum or petition – is a common feature of proposals to establish a PIRG chapter. Given PIRG’s commitment to student engagement, it is also particularly important that the decision to fund a PIRG chapter does not require cuts to existing student programs.
PIRGIM Chapter at the University of Michigan Summary
A group of students at the University of Michigan have great interest in starting a chapter of PIRGIM (Public Interest Research Group in Michigan) on campus. PIRGIM is a student-directed public interest group that works to clean up the environment, defend consumers, protect federal financial aid, and watchdog democracy. Chapters of PIRGIM contribute student fees to hire a set of experts, scientists, advocates, and organizers to make a difference on issues students care about. On campus, students have the opportunity to participate in a variety of civic education and community service programs offered by PIRGIM including on-campus campaigns like the Student Campaign Against Hunger and Homelessness, the campaign to Save the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, the Affordable Textbooks for an Affordable Education campaign, among others. An on-campus organizer helps to develop student leaders to run these campaigns through a volunteer and intern program. We are proposing a that the Michigan Student Assembly allocate $19,759 to fund a Pilot Chapter of PIRGIM, the first step in starting a full chapter.
Background/Need
Students at the University of Michigan cope with many challenges beyond academics. Enduring significant budget cuts from the State Legislature, the University repeatedly increases tuition. Already the most expensive public university, UM risks losing some of its cherished diversity as a result of its high cost. The Ann Arbor Tenants Union has recently been disbanded, causing an immediate need for an effective organization that will actively promote tenants’ rights and housing that is both affordable and decent. Furthermore, Michigan is developing land faster than its population is growing which is burdening taxpayers, degrading the environment and reducing quality of life. Fortunately, UM students hold a proud tradition of activism and awareness. They understand the importance of getting involved to fight these challenges. However, no student groups currently exist that have the resources to stand up to these problems and get results.
A PIRGIM student chapter fills this niche on campus. The goal of PIRGIM is to speak powerfully and consistently for the things that we cherish most. From the issues surrounding urban sprawl to Great Lake pollution to tuition hikes, PIRGIM will offer UM students the opportunity to be active not only in Ann Arbor, but also statewide and nationally on issues of their choosing. Students do have voices; PIRGIM simply acts as the bullhorn.
Included in this proposal is an introduction to the PIRGIM Pilot Chapter program, an introduction to the PIRGIM Student Chapters, a budget, and staff bios.
The Pilot Chapter Program for the PIRGIM Student Chapters As a way to introduce PIRGIM and the chapter model of organizing to new campuses across the state, the students for PIRGIM in conjunction with the Student PIRGs developed the “Pilot Chapter Program.” The chapter model for PIRGIM is a unique combination of professional advocacy and student activism that is difficult to implement in one quick strike. Without an opportunity for students to interact and learn from staff, without an opportunity for students on campus to run and execute PIRGIM campaigns, it can be hard to imagine the impact a PIRGIM chapter can have. To showcase the potential of a chapter without a long term funding commitment, some campuses start pilot chapters with the intention of fully funding a chapter of PIRGIM in the future. The Pilot Chapter represents a commitment and investment from PIRGIM and from the student body. The money we’re requesting will not cover the costs of running a chapter at the University of Michigan – so PIRGIM is investing in the campus because we’re confident that once our chapter model is in place, we can have a big impact on issues. The student body takes a leap of faith, and invests the in the pilot chapter to really see how a chapter works. Often times, it works to everyone’s advantage. For the campus, it introduces students to the local, state and national campaigns of the PIRGIM student chapters, and it introduces faculty and staff to the internship program PIRGIM runs. PIRGIM staff get acquainted with local issues while simultaneously introducing students with the staff and the issues they champion. The Pilot Chapter program is a fourteen month program ending with a student government or campus-wide decision to fully fund and foster a PIRGIM Student Chapter at a particular campus. The properties of the Pilot Chapter are as follows: Campus activities and campaigns
Staff
PIRGIM Student Board of Directors
Funding
Timeline
The PIRGIM Student Chapters
Michigan’s lakes and rivers are national treasures that bring great pride to Michiganders as well as economic benefit. On Michigan farms, our agricultural heritage continues as evidenced in the wide variety of fruits and vegetables grown. Michigan’s schools draw students from all across the world, and Michiganders can get a first-rate education for in-state tuition.
However, many of the things that Michiganders love about Michigan are changing –water too dirty to swim in, fish too poisonous to eat, strip malls where farmland used to be, rising costs of education. Students started PIRGIM to save the things that make Michigan different. By using the power of the student fee to hire staff to work statewide on the issues student care about, students make a difference on Michigan’s biggest problems. At the same time, through on campus campaigns, skills trainings, and internships, students work alongside staff to get their voice heard by leading campaigns themselves.
Fully funding a chapter of PIRGIM invigorates campus activism while simultaneously adding to the statewide and national debates around Michigan’s most pressing issues. Students pool a couple of dollars per semester of their student fee to fund a staff of experts to work as advocates, scientists, researchers and organizers that work to make Michigan a better place to live. In addition to the statewide set of staff, chapter status also empowers students on campus to get involved with a variety of campaigns and to learn hands-on skills outside the classroom that broadens their campus experience while making a difference on real issues that are affecting Michigan’s communities.
PIRG chapters work on 3-5 campus campaigns each term – while PIRGIM works on a number of issues, the student Board of Directors prioritizes its resources on a smaller number of campaigns each semester. In addition to its priority campaigns, students also take advantage of all the resources of local and national PIRG staff to release reports and take quick actions on non-priority issues. So while a chapter may work on 3-5 campaigns at a time, it often will report on, advocate for and educate the campus on a much larger set of issues. Current PIRGIM campaigns that student could run on campus include:
Problem: The University of Michigan will never provide on-campus housing for the entire student body. Being a tenant can be an expensive, uncomfortable and sometimes even dangerous business arrangement. Students often pay hundreds of dollars a month for unclean, unsafe, rundown houses without a clue to how they can upgrade their situation, save themselves money, and find a respectable place to live. Student often do not know their basic rights as renters, and do not have a place to go to answer simple questions. Also, while the university provides many good services for students as renters, there is no entity actively advocating for renter’s rights.
Solution: PIRGIM works to protect student renters through its Renter’s Rights campaign. We run a renter’s hotline that will give students access to the information they need to protect themselves. We advocate for stronger tenant codes that protect all renters, and we educate people about their rights through active education campaigns.
PIRGIM Program: PIRGIM’s Renter’s Rights campaign will work to expose the rental problem in Ann Arbor and across the state. In coalition with community groups and student governments, student will organizing to strengthen tenant codes in student heavy communities – student leaders and campus organizing staff will meet with city councilors to recommend ways to protect renters and their pocketbook. Students will expand the renter’s hotline to other campuses, and work to log the worst cases of rental scams, to showcase the severity of the problem and better advocate for stronger renter’s protections.
Problem: For over two decades, young people have been turning out to vote in declining numbers. In the 2000 elections, only 36.1% of 18-24 year olds voted in the presidential elections. In this past fall’s election, young people reversed that trend by turning out to vote in record numbers, thanks in part to the hard work of student led projects like the Voice Your Vote Commission at UM and the state PIRGs New Voters Project. Unfortunately, here in Michigan, cumbersome voting laws make it difficult for young people, particularly students who have moved within Michigan to go to school, to register to vote. Laws that require your Drivers License address to match your voter registration address and that make it difficult for first time voters to vote absentee severely discourage young people from voting.
Solution: The health of a Democracy is measured by the participation of its citizens. Young people should be encouraged, not discouraged, from participating in the civic process. People who vote at a young age are more likely to continue voting throughout life and to take an active role in community and civic organizations. Laws that make it more difficult register to vote and to vote should be removed.
PIRGIM Program: There is a packet of bills currently in the State Senate’s Government Operations Committee that will remove the Driver’s License requirement, make it easier for first time voters to vote absentee, and make it generally easier to obtain an absentee ballot. PIRGIM students will advocate for this packet of bills, specifically focusing on moving the bills out of committee. We will generate education and lobbying materials for student governments, recruit student government and voter registration leaders from across the state to join us for a lobby day in Lansing, work to pass resolutions through student governments across the state, and generate media attention to push these bills out of committee and through the State Legislature.
Problem: The average student spends over $1000 on textbooks each year – it’s a shocking amount – often outpacing the increased costs of tuition and more than tripling the consumer price index increases in the past few years. It’s nearly impossible to find used books, and each new edition now seems bundled, packaged, and impossible to return.
Solution: Save students money and stop the textbook rip-off by offering students cheap alternatives to new editions through our online website www.campusbookswap.com, researching the problem and finding the forces that are behind price increases, and tackling the textbook industry itself to force it to stop its new edition, and bundled books scams.
PIRGIM Program: We are already making progress. PIRG volunteers and organizers surveyed over a 1000 students to find out how current textbook prices are affecting them. Our team of consumer advocates will work with students and interns to release a report documenting how little difference there is between editions of major textbooks. PIRG’s work helped launch a national legislation led by Congressman David Wu (OR) to uncover the real reasons behind textbook price increases. PIRG is currently targeting Thomson Learning to bring down the cost s of their textbooks – last spring, 500 professors from the nation’s top 100 universities called on Thomason Learning to lower the cost of their major Calculus textbook, Calculus: Early Transcendentals. This spring, more professors will be asked to join the growing network of professors and academic leaders that are calling on the textbook industry to stop their rip-off. PIRG chapters are also working with student governments, faculty, and administrators to find simple solutions to the problem of textbook prices through on-campus bookswaps, easier access to reserve copies of books and starting “book-pools” in some classes so cash-strapped students can share the books they need to succeed.
Problem: The cost of a college education is increasing. At the same time, access to grants is shrinking; this December the White House announced that an additional 130,000 students were no longer eligible for federal grants that made getting to school easier. In Michigan, Higher Education has faced severe budget cuts over the past several years. Even though students are working more than ever, the average college student in the United States takes out significant loans and graduates with $17,000 in debt. Untold others never complete or start college because of the prohibitive cost.
Solution: PIRGIM supports quality public education that is accessible and affordable. The recent finding of the Cherry Commission on Higher Education and Economic Growth, chaired by Lt. Governor Cherry, issued 19 recommendations in December, with the goal of doubling the number of college graduates in Michigan to meet the demands of a growing work force. In order to meet this goal, the State Government should not only stop the cuts to Higher Education Funding but increase funding by at least the state’s rate of inflation. The federal government should increase funding for federal grants programs and decrease interest rates on student loans.
PIRGIM Program: The state PIRGs' Higher Education Project works to secure more aid for students, with a focus on additional grants, reduced debt, and better service to students in the federal financial aid system. On the state level we will advocate for better access to college, maintain an action alert email list, generate education and lobbying materials for student governments, release reports and generate media to insure a quality public education that is accessible and affordable.
Problem: Mercury is a dangerous toxin that threatens the brain and nervous systems of unborn and young children. EPA data finds that each year as many as 630,000 children are born at risk of health problems, including impaired memory, vision, motor skills, and attention deficits The principal way that people are exposed to mercury is by eating fish, an important part of the American diet and Michigan economy. Smokestacks spew mercury pollution into the air, where it rains into our waterways, and accumulates up the food chain in fish. Because of this pollution, every single body of water in Michigan, and all shorelines of the Great Lakes are under a Mercury Advisory, meaning it is unsafe to eat the fish. By far the largest source of mercury pollution is power plants. Coal-fired power plants release approximately 3,082 pounds of mercury each year in Michigan alone.
Solution: Technology is available now to dramatically reduce mercury pollution from power plants. EPA’s own scientists have said that current technologies could achieve a 90 percent reduction from power plants. To protect Michigan citizens and the Great Lakes, Governor Granholm must fulfill her campaign promise and act immediately to reduce mercury pollution from coal-fired power plants.
PIRGIM Program: It has now been two years since Governor Granholm pledged to eliminate mercury pollution from power plants, and nearly 18 months since the mercury workgroup, which she set up to study the problem, began. The Governor has been waiting for recommendations from the mercury utility workgroup to take action, and she will have the report April 14. We are calling on the Governor to require a 90 percent reduction in mercury from power plants by the end of the decade. Working with PIRGIM’s Environmental Advocate Kate Madigan, PIRGIM students will create media attention over March and April to remind the Governor that we expect her to take action in mid-April. PIRGIM students will also collect and deliver hand-written letters to the Governor, to lobby the Governor or Governor’s Environmental Policy Director in person.
Students started PIRG in the early 70’s as a way to tackle our country’s biggest problems. Students knew they could make an impact on these issues – they had the ideas, the people power, the energy – they started PIRG to give them the expertise, the consistency, and political clout to make real social change. By using the resource of the student fee, and by each student making a small contribution every term, students can hire full time advocates, organizers, researchers and scientists. And together – students and staff – we make a huge difference on the things students really care about.
The original idea is still basically the same today; students pool their resources to hire staff to work alongside student interns and volunteers on important public interest issues.
Because the idea of PIRGIM was started with the simple thought that students joining together and pooling their resources to hire staff could make a difference, our budget has always been a big part of our campus presence. Without a significant budget, PIRGIM would be just another student group – student fee resources allow us to hire advocates, researchers, experts and organizers to fight on behalf of all Michiganders. That’s what makes us unique, that’s what connects the community to campus activism, that’s how we can pass a law, run an election, write a report and make a difference on the things students care about.
PIRGIM also makes a difference because of how much time they spend on campus working and training student leaders to make a difference themselves. Having a set of statewide staff is important, but it is only half of what a PIRG chapter provides. Without an active student body that is well trained and organized, it is difficult to make change, especially on the local level. PIRGIM trains students in important civic skills – from planning events, to public speaking, to community service trainings, to running media campaigns – PIRGIM students learn how to get involved in their community through PIRGIM’s internship program and on-campus activities. On campus activism, when combined with statewide advocacy, is what really makes a lasting impact on our communities and the issues we are all concerned about.
The story of what PIRGIM is can be easily seen in the budget. Our whole budget is designed around running and winning public interest campaigns on a statewide level.
Our main strategy in how to do that consistently is by hiring a set of issue experts, advocates, organizers and scientists to work full time on protecting our environment, defending consumers and watchdogging democracy. Because of that, as you can see in our budget, we spend most of our money – 75% – on hiring staff. In order to try to do as much as we can with the little resources we have, we share our staff with a number of different other public interest organizations in order to be able to employ as many people as possible to do this good work. The rest of our budget is devoted to paying for the things that make our staff more successful and more efficient – so we pay for office space, travel, phone use, materials, and a set of the operational expenses that make an organization go. We do everything we can to make sure that those expenses are kept to a minimum so we can hire as many people as possible so we can tackle as many issues as possible.
PIRGIM Budget Resource Guide
PIRGIM Budget Narrative 2005
The budget below is the driving force for all the campaigns, events, trainings and goals stated above. This narrative is designed to give greater detail to the line items simply listed above in the PIRGIM Budget Reference Guide.
Staffing
Of all the numbers in our budget, this is the most important. The staff positions students fund for the year is the most basic outline of our program work. Our ability to hire experts is PIRGIM’s main strategy to make a difference on the things that are most important to Michigan and most motivating for students. In addition, most of our line items (travel, benefits, rent, etc.) stem from our staffing scenario for a given year. From this line item, we can safely predict our other expenses for the year.
With a full chapter, PIRGIM’s staff consists of organizers, advocates, researchers and issue experts. The combination of staff is what makes all of our programs successful. Our issue advocates that coordinate our efforts to clean up waterways or lower tuition rely on organizing staff to educate the campus community, train volunteers, and gather the public support the advocate needs to win. During the pilot chapter, the University of Michigan would mostly pay for PIRGIM’s on campus program and specifically the campus organizer. Organizers recruit students and coordinate a popular student run internship program. The success of PIRGIM’s interns relies on the campaigns and activities we run to be real – to actually be making a difference on the things students care about. So interns work closely with professional advocates to design campaigns and programs that will educate students and impact decision makers. The reality of the work is so important because the student experience is richer when the press conference the student holds really does get on the 5 o’clock news, the report the intern researches actually influences the policy the governor drafts, or the public comments the volunteer gathers really do press the White House to do the right thing.
This complement of on campus action that drives statewide solutions to statewide problems makes PIRGIM unique, it makes us effective, and it makes us important to the campus experience and to the state overall.
PIRGIM Staff
Our 2005 budget plans on the following staffing scenario:
The Campus Organizer, a professional organizer who receives over a month of training in their first year on staff, works directly with students and is the chapter’s primary resource. The organizer runs internship and civic education programs and coordinates each semester’s campaigns with student leaders. Having a fulltime organizer allows the students to take on a much larger volume of work by providing professional expertise on:
Further the Campus Organizer is a resource to the entire campus community, providing advice and trainings to other student groups on executing effective campus programs.
Total salaried amount: $20,700 (salary assumes a 9 month position and includes taxes and benefits).
State Advocacy Staff
Staff Biographies:
Brian Imus, State Director
Megan Owens, Consumer Advocate
Kate Madigan, Environmental Advocate
Jason Barbose, Field Organizer
Salaried amounts for each Advocacy Staff member is based on a percentage of their salary and the amount of time and resources they will be devoting to working on the chapter’s priority campaigns.
United States PIRG Advocates and Campaign Staff
National Campus Program Staff
National Campus Training, Development and Oversight
The Student PIRGs Higher Education Project
Operating Expenses
In order to make the work of our professional staff and student interns more effective, PIRGIM accrues a certain set of operating costs throughout the year. We do everything we can to keep these costs at a minimum, and overall, the organization conserves these resources to the best of its ability because each operating dollar we spend takes away from funds we could use for hiring additional experts. So every dollar spent is well thought through.
Some of these operational expenses are good, strategic decisions too, and at times the organization will make the conscious decision to spend more money on certain resources that help make staff overall more effective.
A general way to understand our operational expenses is to follow the staff, the money we spend on operational expenses increases as the number of staff increase.
Office Supplies
Postage and Shipping
Office Copies
Printing and Publications
Recent publications include from other student chapters include: (this is a partial list, the Student PIRGs are constantly working on newsletters, fact sheets, and brochures that communicate important public interest work to the surrounding campus and community):
The Student PIRG’s website can be found at www.studentpirgs.org, you can see an example of a specific student PIRG website at www.ospirgstudents.org. To see an example of a campaign website, visit www.campusbookswap.com.
Travel
Office Rent
Local Telephone
Long Distance Telephone
Utilities
Books and Publications
Conferences/Special Events
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