Students will most likely be able to attend seven home football games next year, following the Student Senate’s approval Wednesday of a budget increase for the committee that negotiates student tickets.
The Senate also discussed ways to involve students in a new committee dedicated to spending the student government’s roughly $800,000 surplus.
The addition of an extra home game next year left the Athletics Department Finance Committee approximately $228,000 short on funds to purchase the same number of home game tickets it did this year.
The ADFC provides 2,550 student tickets for home games that occur before fall term and 5,700 student tickets for games during fall term.
In a rare move, the ASUO Executive recommended a 7 percent, or $96,141 CQ, budget increase for the ADFC, stating that it wanted to maintain current service levels. The increase puts the ADFC budget at nearly $1.5 million for the 2007-08 year, still about $36,000 short going into negotiations with the Athletics Department.
Concerned Senators discussed the implications of having such a large increase next year and pondered whether ADFC leaders would be sufficiently responsible to manage the extra funds.
“It’s going to give justice to another increase next year,” Sen. Jacqueline Justice CQ said.
ADFC members assured the Senate that they intend to return to the University again next year and would be involved in the ADFC process, suggesting that the ADFC could see a budget reduction next year.
“I think we need to start from scratch in negotiations with the Athletic Department,” Justice said. CQ
ADFC Chairman Sen. Kyle McKenzie CQ said the service provided by the ADFC is rare because students at many other schools must buy season passes. He said the Athletics Department could stop negotiating with the ADFC anytime.
Senators suggested charging students an additional $5 or $10 for each ticket to cover the cost of the additional game, but that option seemed unfair and unlikely to many.
“Something about the culture here at the University of Oregon – students just don’t want to pay for tickets,” said Sen. Micah Kosasa CQ.
The 7 percent increase passed 14-0, with 4 members abstaining.
Surplus decisions
Senators considered how to spend $800,000 in over-realized funds – money accrued from miscalculation of how many fee-paying students would enroll at the University for the past two years.
Previously, Senate President Sara Hamilton sent a letter to senators suggesting that the Senate create a high-interest endowment with the $800,000 surplus and use the annual interest for scholarships or other projects.
But a University lawyer and administrators suggested to Senate leaders that the over-realized funds should be spent this year, Hamilton said. Having a large surplus would “open us up to attacks” when student government leaders lobby the state legislature for lower tuition, she said.
The surplus could also be seized by the state government, if it hits rough financial times in future years, she said.
“Our surplus isn’t safe. It can be swept up by the governor at any time,” Hamilton said.
Senators signed a statement that they will use as a goal when determining how to spend over-realized funds.
In the statement, expected to be placed in a bill and passed next week, senators promised to “allocate over-realized funds towards a project or projects that have a positive, lasting impact on a majority of the student body at the University of Oregon to be allocated by the fifth week of spring term.” CQ
Senators discussed ways to create an ad hoc committee to bring the best student ideas before the Senate by the end of winter term, but members argued about whether non-senator committee members should have voting rights.
“How are we going to get students involved if they’re just going to be worker bees?” Justice said.
Kosasa CQ agreed. “I think students should know they decided how to spend this money, not us,” he said.
Some senators said fee-paying students should have final say on the surplus-funded project through an online vote.
McKenzie CQ has created a Facebook group called, “What would you spend $1 million Dollars on.” CQ
The Senate, for the first time this year, is a full body of 18 after accepting two new members. Karen Trippe CQ was appointed undeclared-major senator and Jeremy Ebner CQ was appointed to the open business seat. Ebner CQalso sits on the EMU Board.
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