Benchmarks addressed in ASUO Senate meeting
The ASUO Student Senate tackled benchmarks for the ASUO Athletic Department Finance Committee, ASUO Programs Finance Committee and EMU Board of Directors at a one hour, 30 minute meeting Wednesday night. All three of the groups gained slight increases in funding.
The ADFC, with the support of the ASUO Executive, received a 7 percent benchmark increase. The ADFC will operate next year with a $1,369,845 budget guideline. Senators unanimously supported the ADFC benchmark.
The Programs Finance Committee received a benchmark increase of 3.4 percent. By a 13-3 approval of the senate, PFC will operate next year with a $4,996,813 budget guideline.

Senators devoted a significant amount of time to debating the PFC benchmark, with much discussion of how the process could be improved in the future to more accurately reflect what the PFC needs.
“We need to change the process at some point in time,” senate Ombudsman Mike Sherman said. “I believe we should focus more on what a benchmark could be.”
An ASUO controller talked about the importance of having an accurate benchmark.
“You need to look at the bigger picture, the process,” Sara Henderson said. “You have to think of all the repercussions that could come from having (an inaccurate) benchmark.”
The EMU board received a 4.8 percent increase to $3,400,928. The motion passed 14-2.
The increase was less than expected because of a salary freeze and skyrocketing energy costs that were predicted but never materialized. The increase includes an operational reserve fund.
“It’s kind of like a rainy-day fund,” EMU Board Chairwoman Christa Shively said. “We’re really only starting to prepare for the EMU Master Plan, which will be a massive renovation of this building.”

— Chuck Slothower

University professor to speak on Middle East
University geography Professor Ronald Wixman will give a lecture tonight about the geography of ethnic and religious conflict in the Middle East.
The lecture, which will focus on Iraq, is titled “American Policy in the Middle East: Geographical Perspectives.” It is open to the public and will begin at 7 p.m. in 150 Columbia Hall.
Wixman, who has spoken internationally on the geography of Europe and the Middle East, frequently lectures for cruises and other educational trips sponsored by the Smithsonian Institution and the American Geographical Society. He has also advised planners and politicians in many parts of the world, according to a University press release.
The lecture is sponsored by the Department of Geography and is in observance of National Geography Awareness Week.

— Chelsea Duncan

PFC increases Career

Center’s budget
The ASUO Program Finance Committee commended the University Career Center’s budgeting strategies at its meeting Wednesday night.
The Center answered questions about its budget so the process will be less complicated when it presents next year’s budget to the PFC for approval in December.
“They do run a tight ship,” PFC Vice Chairman Tobias Piering said. “I do think they are a fiscally responsible group.”
The Center’s proposed budget is for $258,702, which is an increase of $43,521 from the PFC-approved budget for 2003-04.
The Center will ask for the increase as it implements a plan to decrease its reserve account. The reserve account, which was created via ballot measure for the construction of a new building, was instead used for renovation of the current Center because the Oregon University System determined the funds could not be used for construction.
The PFC plan calls for the Center to exhaust its reserve funds by using them to finance ongoing programs by 2005-2006 and in turn receive smaller allocations of incidental fees. The $43,521 increase in the Center’s budget would be a step in reducing its reserve account.
PFC members agreed the plan was the best strategy for the Center’s budget.
“It’s the Career Center; you’ve got to help students get jobs,” PFC Chairman Adrian Gilmore said.
The PFC also approved late budgets for two student groups after debating the legitimacy of their situations at Wednesday’s meeting.
It approved an extension for the Alternative Dispute Resolution Advocates because the group was not informed of the budget deadline.
Piering said he did not mind approving the deadline extension as long as other groups did not begin taking advantage of the decision.
“We have to set a clear precedent,” he said.
The PFC also extended the deadline for the Chinese Student Association because of a misunderstanding about when the proposal was due.

— Chelsea Duncan