Teachers retirement program undergoes legislative reforms
Vista photo by Niel Ginsterblum
Price Oswalt decorates CSU's official Christmas tree north of the University Center Thursday night. The music department, the University Center Activities Board and several clubs participated in CSU's "Christmas Carol and Hanging of the Green.'
By Susan Garrett Briscoe The last session of the legislature brought about some changes in Teachers' Retirement System. "These changes were attached in general conference on House Bill 1601, which was the Public Employment Retirement System Bill," said Bill Ware, executive secretary of Oklahoma Teachers' Retirement System. "Teachers' Retirement House Bill 1600 never made it to the floor, the bill was killed in committee. The only bill alive that we could attach our changes to was the Public Employment Retirement System Bill 1601," said Ware. On July 1, 1984 the following changes were enacted:
I. Reopens, until October 31, 1984, the payback period for military service, including service in the Merchant Marine. 2. Allows members whose regular annual compensation was not determined as provided by law to pay the five percent contribution on the amount not included in the member's regular annual compensation and receive credit for this amount in the calculation of their retirement benefits. 3. Permits members who elected to contribute on $7,800 prior to January, 1, 1978 and whose salary was more than $7,800 during the school year 1974-75 through 1978-79, to make back contributons by paying the five percent contribution on the difference between $7,800 and ac-
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tual salary, not to exceed the maximum salary base for each applicable school year, plus interest. No retirement benefit payment payments shall be made retroactively. 4. Allows the transfer of up to nine years of service credit from other Oklahoma Public Retirement Systems to the Teachers' Retirement System, provided the TRS member is not receiving or eligible to receive retirement credit or benefits for the transferred service, and provided that contributions and interest for the service are paid. "There could be some new retirement changes for 1985 if the Okla. legislature passes Oklahoma Teachers' Retirement System House Bill Five.
Tuesday Edition
Central State University, Edmond, Oklahoma
Resolution calls for reapportioned budget By Lina Hammoud and Curtis Killman The Student Senate passed Nov. 5, by nearly unanimous vote a resolution dealing with the reapportionment of student activity funds. Opinions differed between the Administration and the Student Senate on the reasoning behind the allocation of the student activity fund. The resolution states "that a disproportionate amount of the student activity budget is geared toward the Athletic Department and should be reapportioned toward campus activities related to instruction such as academic scholarships." The student activity fund is derived from a fee assessed to students and included in the tuition, according to the University Catalog. The fee is $3 per credit hour. The fee, as defined in a policy statement published by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education states apportionment shall be for "...use in supporting student activities related to the general educational program of the institution, such as athletics, infirmary, student newspaper, yearbook, student senate, and recreational and social centers." The Senate resolution cited six reasons for reapportionment: 1) Three dollars for every credit hour goes to student activity fees, approximately 20 percent of the cost for each class. 2) The athletic department receives 74.2 percent of the activity fees. 3) Approximately 3 percent of the student body participates or directly benefits from athletic activities. 4) Over 33 percent of the student activity funds, $325,888, go to athletic scholarships. 5) "The University annually loses over $650,000 to athletic programs." 6) "Non-athletic activities are thirty-four
times more profitable than athletic activities." According to Steven Bailey, a student senator who aided in writing the resolution, the student body should be more informed on this issue. "Three dollars of every credit hour taken goes into the activity fund," Bailey said in a telephone interview. "Many people are totally unaware of the activity fee and those that do, don't know what it goes to. It is not published with the rest of the budget. We would like to see it published every year." Bailey stressed a need for examining the amount of money going into athletics versus profits taken in. "The resolution makes a comparison between the profitability of athletics and non-athletic activities. Athletics tends to lose money, but the non-athletic activities make more money compared to the amount budgeted. One solution, according to Bailey, would give the students a voice in the matter of appropriations. "We should have a committee that is composed of students, administrators and faculty that would review the budget. Larry Williams, vice president of administration, refuted most of the implications cited in the resolution. "I don't know the motivation behind the resolution. The student activity fees is a section of the budget that is totally separate and set aside by order of the Oklahoma State Regents For Higher Education to do a particular function," Williams said. "The money we receive from a lot of the programs connected over there (the athletic department) becomes revolving income, which doesn't reflect here in income, it goes into another budget. The income the foot-
ball team is shown receiving does not include any gate receipts or concessions," Williams said. "What is being seen (in the activity budget) is the expenditures, but you're not seeing the actual income. On the assertion that 3 percent of the student body participating or directly benefiting from athletic activities, Williams said he believed the true percentage would be "far beyond three percent." In the past three years Williams said the tuition has increased 20 percent, which would proportionately increase the student activity fund allotment, while athletic scholarships have only increased 11 percent. In addition, he noted that this year the athletic budget was down 3 percent. On the allegation that athletics loses
$650,000, Williams disagreed. "We don't lose $650,000 a year on athletics. None of our student activities are designed to be profitable financially, they are designed to be profitable in long haul terms of recruiting students." He also differed with the opinion that the Senate resolution represented the views of the students. "I'm not familiar with any research that's been done on campus that would give any indication that a majority of the students feel that there is a disproportionate amount of money being expended." A proposal similar to the Student Senate's was submitted on Thursday to the Faculty Senate, according to one member. It will be up for consideration when they meet again—next semester.
Total Activity Fee Budget
$891,111
1 Campus Activities Related to •,,, , Instruction = 18.6% N University Con-
`Vs.%. . )1* t ttngency —$15,000 —1. 7 07o * 1,„''; Drama Scholarships —$14,000 —1.6 To Si, ''''','. Band Travel —$14,000 —1.6 °',, Debate Travel —513,500 —1.5 ?'0 % rw Cultural Arts —$13,000 —1.45 ‘110 l,., Debate Scholarships —$12,000 —1.35 % * • Remaining 21 "0 Catagories —$84,395 —9.2 olo ---
Total —$165,895 —18,6 %
Miscellaneous and Journalistic Functions = 7.2 c7o Yearbook —536,000 —4.0 N Remaining 9 Catagories *NV fil4AAVientWCtl
In this issue... Archery remains a popular course...page 3 Varner joins custodial staff...page 4 European art trip scheduled...page 6 CSU sweeps tourney...page 7
Budgeted Expenditures For 1984-85 07o Derived from Student Activity Fee = 92.5 Wo 07o Derived from Income = 7.5 07o