Student groups hoping for large budget increases next year may be disappointed following the Student Senate’s decision Wednesday to limit the overall funding increase for groups to an unusually low 2.5 percent, a figure smaller than the roughly 7 percent approved in recent years.
Senators criticized the process for financing programs, approving a roughly $136,000 increase that will be distributed among dozens of groups despite the Program Finance Committee’s recommendation that it needed a 5.75 percent increase and the ASUO Executive’s recommendation of a 5 percent increase.
The Senate took two hours to decide on an increase to programs, narrowly defeating motions to allot little or no increase to groups for next year as a way to control the incidental fee, currently at $202 per student per term.
Programs had asked for a broad range of increase amounts, from a 900 percent increase for the Pit Crew to a .29 percent decrease for the Oregon Commentator.
Senators debated how much money to give programs.
Sen. Jacob Daniels said he had a problem with the entire process.
“Groups are encouraged by previous models to spend their entire budgets,” he said, adding that he supported a low increase for the PFC.
ASUO President Jared Axelrod said he could not predict how the increases would affect student fees, but that the Executive is looking for ways to reduce student fees through other means.
“We don’t need to go right to cuts,” he said.
Former Sen. Dallas Brown said under the current structure, the more money a program spends, the more it receives.
“I think what we should be concerned with is reevaluating the PFC process,” Brown said. “Give these guys the ability to make cuts.”
Sen. Chii-san SunOwen defended the PFC’s recommendation and suggested the Senate was singling out programs.
“It’s really problematic for us to say programs are expendable,” SunOwen said, suggesting the programming is a reason for students to stay at the University.
Sen. Micah Kosasa agreed.
“If you feel we need to cut services, then we need to cut services across the board,” he said. He recommended that the Senate recall the ADFC budget.
Brown encouraged the Senate to consider the impact of each program when deciding how to fund them.
“Everyone will have the opportunity to have increases based on what they provide to the University,” he said. “The majority of students would probably support this decision.”
ASUO Finance Coordinator Madeline Wigen said programs would see a 14 percent decrease in funding if the Senate passed a zero percent increase.
“(After) years and years of the fee going up, we are not going to fix it this year,” she said.
But Sen. Athan Papailiou said fixing “the problem with the incidental fee” has to start somewhere.
A motion by Daniels to pass a zero percent increase failed 6-7-4.
“You guys just missed another opportunity, it’s like the third time this year, to make a difference,” said ADFC member Sen. Kyle McKenzie. He motioned for a 1 percent increase, which failed 4-11-2. He then motioned for a 2 percent increase, which failed 4-11-2.
Sen. Bryanna Mannis said she felt the increase should be higher.
“How are we benefiting programs when we are not allowing membership to increase?” she asked.
Daniels criticized the election campaigns of the representatives.
“Every spring during election time, I hear about fiscal responsibility and fee growth,” Daniels said. “We are taking steps toward being fiscally responsible.”
The Senate settled on a 2.5 percent increase by a vote of 10-6-1.
EMU Board
Senate set the EMU benchmark at 5.5 percent, an increase of about $209,000, approving the Executive’s recommendation.
EMU Board Chairwoman Chess Patricolo informed Senate the EMU will ask each program to assess its budget to determine where it can make cuts.
“Cuts will happen even if we pass a 6 percent increase,” Patricolo said.
Axelrod said he was willing to help the EMU work to secure additional funding, suggesting that the University could do more to fund the EMU during what he called a “funding crisis.”
Senators voted 8-5-4 to approve the benchmark.
ADFC
Sen. Oscar Guerra, PFC chairman, motioned to recall an increase approved last week for the Athletics Department Finance Committee of 7 percent, or $96,141. Senate failed to pass the motion, amidst accusations that the action was retaliation for criticism of the PFC process.
Senate President Sara Hamilton said she had anticipated this occurrence and had read Robert’s Rules of Order. To change the ruling, one of the previously dissenting or abstaining senators would need to make a motion, another would need to second it and the majority of senators would have to agree. The vote from the previous week had been 12-0-4.
ADFC members expressed concern that the move was spiteful.
McKenzie said people at the University care about sports.
“No one in the nation cares about the EMU,” McKenzie said. “We are not asking you to allocate money to us, we are asking you to buy products so our students can have some fun.”
Sen. Jennifer Lleras said she supported programs that further the learning experience instead of providing students with fun. She voted for the increase the previous week without knowing the Senate would attempt to cut funds for other programs.
“We have made decisions to lower the incidental fee as a whole,” she said.
The motion to rescind failed 6-10-1.
Senate also passed two bills relating to the $800,000 in over-realized funds. One established the guidelines Senate will use to determine which project or projects to fund. The other created an ad-hoc committee to collect and assess proposals then bring two of those to Senate.
Contact the federal and campus politics reporter at [email protected]
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EDITOR’S NOTE: This story has been corrected from its original version in print.
Senate slightly increases program funding
Daily Emerald
November 16, 2006
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