Associated Students dissolves Civil Controversy office

At its April 13 board meeting, the Associated Students Board of Directors voted 6 to 1 to dissolve the Associated Students Productions Civil Controversy office, effective June 11.

“As much as I love my position ... I can understand why [it was cut],” said Daniel Hagen, the coordinator of Civil Controversy, in a press release. “The AS is facing budget cuts, and another office can take up the programming. There is overlap with other offices.”

The office, established in 2004, has struggled to attract student interest and set itself apart from the AS Resource and Outreach Programs Social Issues Resource Center, which has in the past had a similar mission statement and in recent years has co-sponsored many Civil Controversy events.

Civil Controversy has recorded extremely low attendance, and according to survey data is the least-known program within the AS. Due to the large $21,000 budget allocated to Civil Controversy and low attendance, the Structure and Program Advisory Committee concluded that the office has been unsuccessful.

“Its mission statement was to create dialogue which didn’t fit within AS Productions’ ‘large scale event’ atmosphere and was more suited to the ROP,” said Craig Gorder, chair of the SPAC subcommittee responsible for assessing Civil Controversy. “Saving money was not the primary goal. Our goal in SPAC is to improve the AS as a whole and look at it from a bigger picture. Some of that money saved can be distributed in a more efficient use of student dollars.”