The University is just two weeks away from finding out how a large chunk of over-realized incidental fee money will be spent.
On Friday, the Student Senate appropriations committee will host a town hall meeting at 6 p.m. in 180 PLC to introduce the two packages of proposals and get input from the University community.
The over-realized fund is made up of money from the incidental fee that was charged to students but not budgeted. It is a result of more students enrolling than projected when the fee was calculated.
Although there was originally more than $800,000 in the fund, the two packages of proposals total only about $623,000 each because the committee was advised by University President Dave Frohnmayer to leave a buffer in the fund, committee Chairman Jacob Daniels said.
At Monday’s meeting, the committee decided on the two packages, which were passed by a unanimous vote of the members who were present. Several proposals made it into both packages because of their overwhelming popularity with committee members, Daniels said.
Package one includes a plan for an electronic ticketing system for athletic events, a proposal from the Emerald to purchase equipment to expand its video production capabilities, proposals for a biodiesel processor and biodiesel vans for Campus Recycling, funds to expand KWVA Radio’s space in the EMU, money to replace the drum line for the Oregon Marching Band, and funds to expand the Club Sports office and a multi-cultural wing in the EMU.
The second package also contains the electronic ticketing proposal, the Emerald request and both biodiesel proposals. This package includes a proposal to pay the recreation center debt and fill the EMU equipment reserve, as well as a proposal from KD Magazine to pay debt, a proposal to build a new collaborative technology lab in the McKenzie computing lab, one for improvements to the Duckpond alumni Web site, funding for a philosophy seminar and a banner for the Volunteers In Tax Assistance, a proposal to build a new map station at the “heart of campus,” and a proposal for “electronic billboards.”
Daniels said while package two does have more proposals, the committee determined the two reach approximately the same number of students.
At the town hall meeting, anyone who wants to speak will have the chance to talk about the proposals, and those students who wrote proposals that did not make it into the packages will have the opportunity to explain why they should be in; however, Daniels said it is unlikely that the packages will be changed because it will be difficult to decide which proposals to exchange.
The Senate will vote on the two packages at its April 25 meeting. A vote of two-thirds of the members will be required to decide on the winning package.
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