DASB senators debated whether they should be paid quarterly for their work at the May 1 meeting.

The first draft proposed payments of $100 per quarter for student senators and $200 per quarter for executives.

Through the Associated Student Organization, other schools in the Bay Area–Las Positas, Chabot, Foothill, West Valley, Mission, Monterey Peninsula, Evergreen and San Jose City College, pay their student senators, said newly elected DASB president Lawrence Su.

De Anza and Ohlone are the only local community colleges who do not pay their student senators, according to Su.

This proposal was rejected by several senators.

Senator Jeff Lydon said the numbers were “chump change” and they had to double it.

The meeting ended with the proposal that every executive would be paid $800 per quarter and senators would be paid $500 per quarter through college or district funding.

Paying senators “increases opportunities to represent De Anza,” said Su.

Lydon said he worried if all students could benefit from the proposed policy.

“There’s a difference between people who have time, they join the DASB, and the people who don’t have time,” Lydon said.

Some of the schools that pay their student senators also offer free parking and priority registration, said Su.

“We should be treated on the same level as athletes who get priority registration,” Su said.

However the issue of whether it is legitimate to receive the compensation arises.

“Since there is money being given to the senators, [the senate] should be more eager to impeach those who do not do their job,” said senator Takuto Ueda.

”People should know what to do so that there’s no backlash,” said Ueda.

Senators also discussed concerns of how to hold senators accountable throughout the quarter. Su said fellow senators and executives will keep each other accountable and report any issue that arise.

“Clocking in” to be paid is dependent on attending DASB meetings, shared governance meetings and committee attendance.

No action was taken to endorse the student leadership compensation resolution. Su called for a meeting to be held on May 8 to endorse the resolution.

Student trustee Genevieve Kolar endorsed paying DASB senators and executives quarterly. Read more in Kolar’s student trustee column.