During the recent USG elections, held last week until Dec. 3, a referendum was passed making the Student Activity Fee $100 a semester. This means an increase of $5.75 for each student.
The USG supports the passage of this measure. Its argument is compelling.
“It translates to $80,000 more cash in the bank for Stony Brook Students,” a post on the body’s official website reads. “That means more concerts, more events and more clubs for you. NEW YORK STATE, SUNY AND STONY BROOK UNIVERSITY ADMINISTRATION CANNOT TOUCH THIS MONEY.”
These are all facts, and all important points. But they left out who does have the authority to touch this money: USG itself.
The Student Activity Fee is a vital part of student life on campus. Without it, no club on campus — including The Statesman, which gets part of its budget from USG — would be funded by the university.
The amount it is to be raised by is a paltry $11.50, or roughly the price of ten mozzarella sticks on campus. That money won’t break anyone.
Increasing the Student Activity Fee is fundamentally a good idea for all the reasons that USG has been promoting. It is the most direct way to quickly influence student life. If there is something clubs don’t mind paying, it is a fee that they will eventually see in their own budgets anyway.
But an essential question remains: how much of the reported $80,000 will actually end up back in student clubs?
The note on the USG website clearly states that “more concerts” could be a result of the passage of the increase. But the group in charge of putting on concerts at Stony Brook — the now-USG controlled Student Activities Board — already has a budget of more than $400,000.
How large a chunk of the $80,000 can possibly help put on a solid event and leave enough to benefit all the clubs on campus that are hurting for money?
It is important that USG be responsible with the money that it receives. Last year, nearly $300,000 was left unused by clubs to which USG had allotted money.
Will USG still be willing to give more money to the clubs that actually need it when the clubs that don’t continue to not spend it, or will the senators just pour the majority of the new cash into a major year-ending event?
Clubs and organizations are the factors that improve student life on campus—not one marquee concert per year. The student government should keep that in mind when deciding how it will distribute the added money they are taking from their classmates’ pockets.
—The Editoral Board
Anonymous • Dec 14, 2010 at 9:24 pm
@ Moiz K Malik
Re: Student Activity Fee Referendum Case
Dec.14, 2010 Press Release
http://groups.google.com/a/stonybrookusg.org/group/press/browse_thread/thread/3a98194cd178457b#
This part of the advocate”s response really should concern the students:
However, the potential revenue, nearly $80,000, when collected, can provide free events and services
that would be especially useful in these hard economic times. The Universities method of disbursing and allocating fees may be dubious and questionable, however, the Undergraduate Student Government’s methods on allocation and disbursement are in fact the most transparent. A student can simply log into the website of the Undergraduate Student Government, click budget, and they can know exactly where there money is going. The fact is, the Undergraduate Student Government does a tremendous job (especially in relation) of providing information relating to the Student Activity Fee.
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Providing FREE Events and Services to who, the entire campus community or, to the undergraduates who pay the undergraduate student activity fee?
If, USG has made the cuts as proposed in the 2010 – 2011 USG OPERATIONAL BUDGET ADJUSTMENT ACT which reduces some of the operational & service budgets by $83,000.00; this is currently NOT REFLECTED in the certified budget posted on the USG website.
If, USG has approved the Appropriations Act #2 for Fiscal Year 2010-2011 which is the allocation of $60,216.57 to renovate the commuter commons in the SAC; where is that listed on the certified budget on your website?
In these hard economical times, most people cutback on entertainment and they become more creative with what they have and with what they can afford.
Most of what appears on the USG website is information that has NOT been currently updated and reflects events that happened in the academic year of 2009-2010. So where is the transparency?
Sounds like USG’s methods of disbursing and allocating fees are just as dubious and questionable as the methods of the university.
SUNY POLICY on FEES, Rentals, and Other Charges
Each campus must adopt a comprehensive broad-based fee policy that ensures student involvement in the decision-making process, adequate communication of fee actions,provides circumstances for fee waivers and refunds, and addresses part-time non-traditional, and off-site students fairly. Campus broad-based fee policy documents must be filed with the university vice chancellor for finance and business to be used for “Best Practices,” especially with regard to student consultation.
http://www.suny.edu/sunypp/documents.cfm?doc_id=398
There was a lack of student involvement because USG DID NOT “ADEQUATELY” communicate that there was a referendum being voted on during the Fall elections to increase the student activity fee. The decision making process was flawed by USG’s deficiency with dissemination of important information!
Anonymous • Dec 9, 2010 at 7:31 pm
That still does not answer my question. I get that USG has to calculate a budget on projected numbers for the upcoming academic year. After the books are closed and bills are all paid, USG had nearly $300,000 left in unused activity fees.
No one can predict what funds will be unused, so it can differ from year to year. But, every year there are rollover funds because clubs did not spend what they anticipated they would.
It just so happens that last year it came to nearly $300,000. It appears to be a little too greedy when you hear that USG has nearly $300,000 in rollover funds and they are still looking to raise the activity fee by another $5.75.
If USG doesn’t have it, USG just can’t do it! This is called living within your financial means.
SUNY policy states that excess student activity funds NOT required for current budgeted expenditures may be invested. If USG REQUIRES an additional $80,000 then take it from the rollover (excess) funds. Asking students for an increase, when USG already has cash on hand is disgraceful.
A question for the new USG Treasurer: So,exactly how much does USG have all together in rollover funds?
Trust begins with transparency and USG needs to be put under a microscope.
Moiz • Dec 9, 2010 at 2:27 am
//Why raise the undergraduate student activity fee by $5.75 if USG had “nearly $300,000 left” from the last academic year?//
The overwhelming amount of the rollover is due to clubs not spending their entire budget. If you look at budget vs. actual for the USG’s operations, generally its very close. The problematic aspect is that, because expenses are not necessarily billed on time, it is impossible for those creating the budget to know if the club is going to spend their entire budget by the end of the fiscal year.
For example, if the SBU Cat Network had a 4,000 budget last year. By April (and the voucher deadline had already passed), they only spent 1,000. In late April, early May, a bill for 3,000 for certain expenses for the Cat Network came in. By that time, the budget was already completed (as mandated by the USG Constitution). The Cat Network, never indicated that they were going to spend that remaining 3000 until the bill came in. The fact of the matter is that, the budgeting process creates nearly impossible demands. Because USG undergoes a large turnover, it is very rare that someone who was involved in a previous budget process will be the next year.
Essentially: some clubs don’t spend their budget, a roll over is created. Of course, the clubs who don’t spend all of their budget are penalized the next year, but this is also a difficult decision because by that time, the leadership is completely different.
//Glad your not the Treasurer anymore with making a statement that funding clubs and not large events is exactly why campus life is flat out miserable. Like one large concert or a few big events is the cure all!//
Ad hominems are logical fallacies. Your decision to resort to ad hominems reveals is unfortunate.
I never said that one concert is the cure all, rather, I stated that large events are what bring the campus community together in a physical and mental sense. Obviously there is not a shoe that fits all, but you see, that is exactly the problem. The approach for the past few years has been that small student clubs will solve everything. That approach has failed.
//Renting furniture, would be to accomodate seating and tables for an event and that is a “legitimate” club expense if the campus can’t or won’t provide it.//
The University has free furniture. Yes they don’t look like the furniture in a night club or a mansion (which is what people rent) but it serves the purpose for free.
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I am saddened by your decision to remain anonymous. I love the fact that you address these very real issues, and it is overwhelmingly obvious that we share the same goal but have a significantly different approach. I would love to meet and discuss these matters with anyone. Even if you would like to remain anonymous, I would respect that decision, but I would really love to talk to you in person.
I do not have a political agenda beyond improving this campus. My approach may be completely wrong, but if we continue this sort of antagonistic form of discussion, we won’t be able to convince each other of anything, but rather strengthen our current convictions. I legitimately mean that, anyone who thinks I am wrong (either in part or full), contact me mkhan [@stonybrookusg.org) and we can setup a meeting either over the phone or in person.
Anonymous • Dec 8, 2010 at 12:54 pm
@ Moiz
Editorial: Raise in Student Activity Fee; Where is your money really going?
In that editorial it says:
“It is important that USG be responsible with the money that it receives. Last year, nearly $300,000 was left unused by clubs to which USG had allotted money.”
Why raise the undergraduate student activity fee by $5.75 if USG had “nearly $300,000 left” from the last academic year?
What happened to that money?
Glad your not the Treasurer anymore with making a statement that funding clubs and not large events is exactly why campus life is flat out miserable. Like one large concert or a few big events is the cure all!
Tell that to the Gospel Choir, Catholic Campus Club,CSO, ASU, BWW, IFSC,CSO,ASU,BWW,CASB,CSA and all the other clubs who bring entertainment and activities to this campus.
Isn’t it USG’s and the Student Activities offices’s job to make sure that these clubs/communities are LEGITIMATE before USG funds them?
Renting furniture, would be to accomodate seating and tables for an event and that is a “legitimate” club expense if the campus can’t or won’t provide it.
Nothing has changed with the affordability of eating on campus and until that does, clubs will continue to encourage socialization with a slice of pizza purchased cheaper from elsewhere. So, long as the Treasurer (in spring 2010, that would have been you) approves it,there is nothing more to be said.