GPSG Scheduled Vote on Giving Executives Stipend Bonuses

The Graduate and Professional Student Government plans to vote on legislation that would give Initiatives Committee Chair Claire Riley and Public Relations Chair Aaron Deason an additional $750 in stipend payments. As previously reported, Riley is the long time girlfriend of GPSG President Anthony Greco.

During winter break Greco emailed members of the executive board to propose giving Riley and Deason a raise of up to $1,000 a piece. Greco proposed these raises under the premise that Deason and Riley had both outperformed the $2,000 their stipends have paid them so far.

“I am proposing that we at least take a portion of this stipend savings and give at least $500 to Claire and Aaron who are slated to make $4.81 and $5.14 respectively,” Greco emailed the other GPSG executives.

“I am not sure if $1,000 each is the best option, I’m recommending $500, but I am also removing myself from voting in this discussion due to any perceived conflict of interest where it be internally or externally,” Greco wrote.

Greco’s proposal to give Riley and Deason raises was unsuccessful, but Michael Ryne Horn has now drafted a bill that will be voted on by the GPSG assembly Thursday night for approval.

Horn initially declined to comment on this story via email stating, “I would like to reserve the right to preview the article before it is sent out.  My words should not be mistaken to further your attacks on GPSG.  I am aware that the Campus Citizen used to (sic) receive funds from GPSG and had its funds removed because your organization showed no promise.  I was a member who voted to remove this funding.  Your organization personal issues should not manifest themselves in issues attack GPSG and its Exec officers. Agreed?”

After The Campus Citizen declined this agreement Horn responded that he was prompted to write this bill because, “Your ridiculous publication on the compensation rates of the executive members.  I for one like hard work and money.  I respect both.  In your publication on the executive member compensations you asked students what they thought about the compensation rates that GPSG gave.  Was it made clear that they are expected to work?  Other organizations that I am part of, say Engineering and Technology Student Council (ETSC), have paid positions that pay $2000 for an academic year.  They work around 5 hours a week for ~30 weeks, if you do the math you are looking at $13.33/hr.  Yet, the Campus Citizen seems hell bent on pointing fingers at the GPSG executive board, which has some members making down in the $4/hr rate.  They could spend there time working at Taco Bell making better money for their time, but they choose to serve the graduate students of IUPUI.”

Bill 1-16 will reallocate $1,500 of the GPSG’s former VP of Grants stipend to Riley and Deason. Former VP of Grants, Austin Stanforth had to step down from his position prematurely this year.

Since any unspent money that remains on the GPSG’s books at the end of the fiscal year will be returned to IUPUI, Horn suggests the GPSG should instead split it between Riley and Deason for the work they’ve done this semester.

While this legislation mirrors the email circulated by Greco to other GPSG executives over winter break, Greco says he had no hand in drafting it.

“I did receive some questions from Ryne prior to his drafting it, but I didn't draft any aspect of it.  What I suggested to the executives last fall recommended a smaller increase than Ryne's (Ryne isn't dating Claire or Aaron in case you were wondering),” Greco said via email. “I imagine they are similar in nature because many people don't think it's right to effectively compensate someone with poverty-level wages when they're working hundreds of hours.”