Ledger

Issue date: 4/20/06 Section: Commentary

Finishing the year on a vastly different note than it began on, the Services and Activities Fee Committee breezed through annual event proposals April 7. In total, the SAFC handed out $558,567 to help promote student life next year at the University of Washington, Tacoma.
"I really think that although the year started out with chaos, it ended in change," said Shellie Jo Enscoe, manager of Student Life. "You saw a lot less bias - there was a great deal of fairness."
While there was some initial contention at the April 7 meeting regarding the acceptance of late and incomplete proposals, a consensus was eventually reached that allowed the proposal-in-question to be considered. Aside from that decision, little else was debated by the committee during funding deliberations.
The proposal for annual funding by the Ledger, submitted shortly after deadline and lacking an attachment, had its fate thoroughly debated by SAFC members. Since this was the first year that proposals were submitted electronically, the committee ultimately agreed that some leeway should be given until the SAFC improves the process.
Shellie Wilson, SAFC chair, said the Ledger's proposal offered a chance for the committee to learn the shortcomings of the submission process, such as the need for a review policy to ensure that organizations have submitted all proper attachments.
Coming off a rough year in which the SAFC was investigated by the Office of Student Life for not following procedures, the committee stringently adhered to the rules during this funding round.
"I think we were trying so hard to follow policy and procedures that we lost a bit of common sense," Wilson said during the meeting, explaining why the Ledger's proposal became such a large issue.
After voting 3-1 to allow the Ledger's proposal to move forward, the SAFC deliberated funding proposals, handing out nearly all of the $581,055 requested. Two other key rulings came out of the meeting:
• The Services and Activities Fee will be $106 per quarter next year for all students -- a $3 increase from this year.
• Fifteen percent of all SAFC fees collected will go into the Long Term Fund in order to ensure the continued development of student life at UWT. This is a five percent increase from last year.
The committee exercised some fiscal prudence in their decisions by trimming line items from two budgets and adding a stipulation to another. Believing that students should not be forced to finance the Center for Teaching, Learning and Technology, the SAFC approved funding, but added the stipulation that UWT administration seek alternative funding next year. The center provides outside-the-classroom help for students, which the SAFC agreed should be financed by the university.
Student Life lost funding for a web and digital design coordinator, due to SAFC concerns that the position was not well-defined enough. The committee also slashed funding for a staff position at the proposed Longshoreman's Hall. The representative from Student Life was encouraged to return to the committee and apply for contingency funding after refining her requests.
After appeals, the SAFC has until May 5 to forward their budget recommendations to the chancellor for approval.

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