’ for these ro e ‘z ts n e d tu e’ve charged s w , it t u o b a k “If you thin e last hundred years.” tral President n e C , o in d u services for th a G -James
UP THE
e h t o t s t c e j b o e e t t i m S&A Com
The Services and Activities (S&A) Committee voted last school year to raise student’s quarterly S&A fee by 11 percent to $231 in order to help pay for the newly created administrative fee. The fee is expected to generate $5.7 million dollars – the S&A Committee will pay approximately $790,000. The S&A fee increase, however, will only provide for an estimated $500,000. To pay for the rest, the committee has also cut base funding to all the campus entities it supports by one percent. The Board of Trustees (BOT) approved the fee increase at their June meeting. Information from The administrative, or “adthe Higher Education Coordinating Board for the min,” fee is charging over 100 2009-10 academic year. different campus areas for use These numbers are for of approximately 20 overhead resident undergraduates. services. CWU S&A fee is $629 The fee was created, reEWU S&A fee is $537 structured and approved beWWU S&A fee is $507 cause Central President James TESC S&A fee is $514 Gaudino, Chief Financial Officer George Clark and other members of the administration and BOT think it’s time for students to start paying for a broad range of services they say benefit them – from the president’s house to the Faculty Senate. “With state funding dropping so rapidly, [the administration is] left with one source of revenue – the student,” said James Rae, vice president for Student Life and Facilities for the Associated Students of Central Washington University-Board of Directors (ASCWU-BOD).
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According to Linda Schactler, director of public affairs, the admin fee spreads the overhead tax for the university for all funds sources. “If you are in any business or any business organization in the United States, these are basic costs that any business has.” Schactler said the university had previously paid for the admin fee out of one funds source - the state fund source. The state funds are currently used for the cost of instruction, which is primarily tuition and state support. “It doesn’t make any sense to take [the money] out of one fund source,” Schactler said. The admin fee could push difficult decisions to departments having to pay it this year, including dining, housing, parking and all academic departments. The fee will be collected bi-monthly and deposited into a new fund. From there, said Shelly Baird-Johnson, assistant vice president of budget and student financial services and who helped create the admin fee, the money is distributed back to colleges and support services.
these services for the last hundred years.” Central’s budget was cut $29.2 million when the state budget bill was passed in May. After another 14 percent tuition increase, Central is still $8.75 million short. Schactler said the admin fee, if the estimates are correct, should cover $5.7 million of that shortfall. “We have to acknowledge the speed of the state funding cuts,” Gaudino said. “We aren’t walking down a shallow declining hill side, we’ve jumped off a cliff.” Schactler said the fee is new and controversial and painful. “I think people feel punished,” she said. “For them it’s a budget cut. Everyone needs these common services therefore everyone pays for them.”
e e f n i m d a new practice at other universities, and that Central is simply “catching up.” He also believes the fee is within the parameters of the state law. “It is common sense that services that benefit all, should be paid by all,” Clark said. University of Washington Director of Budget Operations Amy Floit said that The S&A Committee is they exclude S&A money from comprised of two nonvoting members, seven similar administrative charges. “It’s [the student’s] money, we Central students who are voting members, let them use it without [paying three faculty nona] fee,” Floit said. “It’s off limits.” voting members, It’s the same case at Western and one university administrator, who has Washington University. Other a vote. state universities were contacted by the Observer, but couldn’t be reached for comment prior to printing.
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The S&A fee is standard at every public higher Over the summer the ASCWU-BOD asked the education institution – the amount is mandatory state auditor’s office for legal opinions. They are and is a percentage of tuition. looking at how other institutions use S&A money Both the S&A committee and the ASCWU-BOD as examples. questioned the fee’s Stayback believes that just belegitimacy at a June cause the expenses paid for by the meeting. administrative fee aren’t “expressly The students were not illegal” doesn’t make [them] legal. The S&A Committee approved the fee only asked for their opinion, they That seems to be the administraafter, according to AStion’s argument right now, and we were told, ‘This is what is CWU-BOD Vice Presiaren’t comfortable with that answer. going to happen and how it’s We are seeking a legal opinion to dent Paul Stayback, the going to be. committee was “heavstraighten it out.” ily pressured by the adThe ASCWU-BOD is still waiting -MIKE MERZ ministration.” Also, the for an answer. ASCWU-BOD Legislative Liaison ASCWU-BOD was not “No one has ever asked these given proper “dispute questions before,” said Stayback. resolution” before the “What it comes down to is, where fee was officially approved by the BOT. do we draw the line?” said 2010-11 S&A Commit“This was dictated,” said ASCWU-BOD Legisla- tee Chair Megan Hammond. “Should we be paytive Liaison Mike Merz. “The stu- ing this when our funds are meant especially for The S&A Committee’s dents were not asked for their students? On the other hand, these things have to purpose is to do opinion, they were told, ‘This is be paid, and the administration has to find a way research similar what is going to happen and how to pay them. Is this the best way to go about it? to a congressional committee and to it’s going to be.’” I’m not sure.” award money to S&A fee money has traditionDepending on what the auditor’s office finds, student groups. ally only been used to fund clubs, Stayback said that Central students and the ASCstudent government and other programs that WU-BOD have three options: 1) do nothing, 2) sue student representatives approve. the school to re-coup the admin fee or 3) pres“I think the [ASCWU-BOD and the S&A Commit- sure the legislature to change the law. Which optee] are concerned because they’ve never had to tion the ASCWU-BOD chooses will be up to the pay this before,” Baird said. “If you’ve always got- language of the auditor’s response and who is in ten something for free, and then one day you’re office at the time of response. told that it’ll cost you, you’re left with a pretty big Stayback blames the ambiguity of the law for ‘why?’” this controversy. “This problem was created by the legislature,” Stayback said. “It’s not a situation [the administration] created, it’s a situation they’re trying to survive.” RCW 28B.15.045 specifies how S&A funds are to be spent: “for the express purpose of funding student services and programs,” “to protect the stability of programs that benefit students” and “that students have a strong voice in recommending budgets.” Clark said charging administrative fees to the unication m m o C e th f o S&A budget is common alism majors. g 2011 as part
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BY NORA DUNCAN IRIS DIMMICK NICOLE SWAPP
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“A lot of the things [the administration] are doing now are just good managerial practices,” Gaudino said. “If you think about it, we’ve charged students ‘zero’ for roject
ion of this ping c rt o p A : E T O N EDITOR’S nt’s Investigative Report Departme
en in Sprinall graduating print journ tt ri w d n a d e rt was repo stone class required of lass, the cap
NEWS
THE OBSERVER • OCT. 20 - 26, 2011
Student employee hours cut at 88.1 The ‘Burg due to new admin fee BY KATHARINE LOTZE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF The ‘Burg had to cut student hours and their goods and services budget due to the new administration fee. Student positions normally allotted 19 hours per week are being cut down to 15, and possibly 12 hours per week, according to Chris Hull, the ‘Burg’s program manager. Eight out of 12 student employees have had thier hours cut. “We built the place for them and now I feel like I have to crap on them,” Hull said. The ‘Burg plans to absorb the loss by cutting down on their equipment upgrades and replacements before cutting any more student hours. Hull estimates a $15,000 cut from The ‘Burg’s goods and services budget. Because it has two funding sources, S&A and Student Union money, The ‘Burg falls under two admin fee areas. This year, Hull said, they will pay a total of about $25,000 for the fee. Senior public We’re cramming a whole relations lot of stuff into not that many major Lauren hours. It slows things down a Walp, the lot. ‘Burg’s music -LAUREN WALP director, Senior, public relations used to work 19 hours per week at the station, but now with 15 hours per week, it’s a stretch to get all of her work finished. “We’re cramming a whole lot of stuff into not that many hours,” Walp said. “It slows things down a lot.” Junior communication major Christopher Pearce said the rush to complete work in less hours has taken a toll on the quality of his work. “I’m forced to use a lot less creativity,” he said. “The end product is sub-par.” Pearce said he would rather have tuition increase to keep all of the programs offered at Central. “It scares me that we might lose this place,” he said. Hull and the station staff heard rumors of the administration fee circulating last year, but didn’t find out the actual amount they are required to pay until Friday, Sept. 23. “No one could really answer the question definitively,” Hull said. Hull said communication about the new fee was “not transparent” from the start. The lack of communication has been frustrating to Hull and others at the ‘Burg because they were left with no time or advice on how to prepare for the fee. Lucky for the ‘Burg, the Student Activities Committee set aside approximately $800,000 last year of supplemental funds to help shoulder the burden of the new fee for departments like the ‘Burg. “It’s a disservice to students,” Hull said. “This could have grave implications on Central’s ability to recruit students.”
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Yeah. Uh huh, you know what it is. Black & Yellow.
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G N I K C I P
NEWS
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State and tuition revenue
S&A funds
522 funds: •SURC bond •Emergency revenue •Student activites
Approx $790,000 to admin fee
General funds
Colleges/ academics
Support services
Approx $4.91 million to admin fee
$5.7 million for admin fee. Money funds back into general fund to pay for 20 services across campus.
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