The anger Volume 93 • Issue 5 San Antonio College A forum of free voices since 1926
Oct. 22, 2018 WWW.THERANGER.ORG
College holds back part of operational budget, waits for spring Information technology director said cuts make for smarter spending. By Sergio Medina
smedina104@student.alamo.edu
This fall, this college is holding back 30 percent of its operational budget from fiscal year 2018-19 to surmount
potential budget limitations in spring. Every fiscal year, Sept. 1-Aug. 31, the college receives a budget, this year of about $65 million. In an interview Oct. 8, budget officer Larry Rosinbaum said 84 percent of that amount goes to salary and benefits; about 9 percent goes to operational expense; 5 percent goes into charge-
backs from the Alamo Colleges and 2 percent goes into capital, which is dedicated to construction and the purchase of equipment and furniture. “Our district office is the one that decides how much money we’re going to get every year,” Rosinbaum said. “And so the money comes to us and then we have to decide how to allocate it among
all the different organizations here.” He said the 30 percent decrease in the operational budget amounts to approximately $860,000. However, he said calling it a cut is inaccurate. “Dr. (Robert) Vela decided to hold back 30 percent of the budget, internally — here at SAC — not at district,”
Rosinbaum said. “It wasn’t a cut, it was a holdback,” he said. “I mean, we still have those funds. The reason he decided to do that is because of the uncertainty of what’s going to happen.” Factors such as flat enrollment, lower state funding, dual credit and
See BUDGET, Page 2
Tripled student activity fee nets $900,000 for academic year Student Activity Fee Committee approved two club requests. By Andrea Moreno
amoreno439@student.alamo.edu
Biology freshman Jazz Lewis scores 2 points making it a 4-point lead in the first quarter Oct. 17 against the Palo Alto College Palominos in Candler. The Rangers defeated the Palominos 77-62. Brianna Rodrigue
According to the student services activity fee budget summary, the total amount projected for the 2018-19 academic year is $893,811. The money has been distributed into programs, activities, committees and sports, said Mark Bigelow, interim director of student activities Sept. 6. The funds come from the student activity fee, assessed on each student at a rate of $3 per credit hour. Last year, when the student fee was $1 per credit hour, about $273,000 was projected for the entire academic year of 2017-18. The student activity fee budget for club requests was $46,500 for the 2017-18 academic year, Mark Bigelow, interim director of student activities said Sept. 6. The following programs and organizations have been allotted funding from the student activity fee. The student life general activities and events, such as Weeks of Welcome, National Night Out and Halloween festivities were allotted $30,000. The institute co-curricular activities, such as the institute programs of science, technology, engineering, math (STEM); business and public services; creative and communications arts; and health and biosciences; have been given a budget of $80,000. The money will be split differently throughout the academic year to each institute based on any big events, Bigelow said. The institute co-curricular activities programs are something new that has been developed this academic year, and it is still being decided what these programs will be using the budget for, he said. By law, all student activity fee funds are to be used for student activities, not academic purposes, but as the program is new, Bigelow said he doesn’t know what funds will be used for. The civic engagement and service learning programs have been given a combined $20,000 for
events such as a Peace Day Mixer and Constitution Day and will use their budget for items they give away, such as food for students. Building improvements for Loftin Student Center are expected to absorb $75,000 though Bigelow could not identify what the funds will be used for. In the past, funds have been used to remodel the cafeteria and to purchase furniture. The advocacy center where students, faculty and staff can get food, clothing, counseling and emergency assistance has been allotted $20,000. The Campus Activity Board has been given $15,000 for anything the board will host. CAB may use its budget on inflatable rentals for entertainment and some of the funds on the SAC games, said Nicholas Delaunay, liberal arts sophomore and CAB president, on Sept. 19. SAC games is a new event that has CAB partnered with the Gaming Society and the K Club from the kinesiology program. Ninety students participated in the Olympic style activities Oct. 15-18 and participants were to be eliminated until the last three participants are left. Those then compete for the first-, second- and third-place winners, Delaunay said. Extramural and intramural sports have been given $80,000. Each sport of this college, such as the men’s basketball, women’s basketball, boxing, women’s volleyball, women’s soccer, men’s soccer and intramural programming along with cheerleading, has been given $10,000, making the total $80,000. The salaries and benefits for three full-time coordinators and for seven part-time coaches for sports requires another $285,237.49. The three coordinators receive health insurance but the seven part-time coaches do not receive benefits. The two coordinators are student success Coordinator Joseph Liedecke and Bigelow. The third coordinator position is still vacant, Bigelow said. The Student Activity Fee Committee approved in 2006 having the three coordinators and seven
See FEE, Page 2
Events scheduled for Cybersecurity Awareness Week The Tech Store offers virus removal for $10. By Liandre De la Uso
ldelauso@student.alamo.edu
The computer information systems program and office of technology services are hosting events for Cybersecurity Awareness Week Oct. 23-25 to promote safe computer practices at this college. Cybersecurity Awareness Week is part of a national event known as
Cybersecurity Awareness Month, which was established by former President Barack Obama in 2016. The first event will be 8:30 a.m. Oct. 23 at the Victory Center. Amanda Keammerer, deputy director of Cybersecurity San Antonio, will speak to
faculty, staff and students about the importance of keeping data safe and ways to prevent computer breaches. “We just want File to get the word out there that you have to
be smart when you’re online,” said Yvonne Galindo, instructional technology supervisor for the office of technology services. The second event is an encryption instruction workshop “Encryption Demystified” in which network specialist Manny Rosado will teach the basics of data encryption and its defensive benefits. This event will be at 1 p.m. Oct. 24 and repeated at 10 a.m. Oct. 25 in Room
712 of Moody Learning Center. The Tech Store will host a pop-up shop to offer virus and malware removal for PC and Mac computers for $10. This will be at 10 a.m-3 p.m. Oct. 22-25 in the second floor lobby of Moody. “So we want to make sure that when you’re online, you’re using the proper safeguards,” Galindo said. “We don’t want you to lose everything you have.” For more information, call the office of technology services at 210-486-0030.