News > April 14, 2006

By Liza Greenspun

Staff writer

Student Government recently approved a proposal that will double the amount of money that goes toward the Student Activity Fee funds beginning in the 2006-’07 school year. SG president senior Reggie Mathis emphasized the fact that tuition will not be raised in order to cover this increase in SAF funds.

Beginning in 2004, a $100-per-student fee was implemented to be included in the tuition for the university each year. Since that time, $50 per student of this fee went toward the actual SAF funds for general student programming while the other $50 was earmarked for a recreation center to be built in the future.

According to a press release from Mathis and junior David Bruno, SG treasurer, all SAF funds will be allocated to the SAF committee for campus-wide programming and that the funds previously earmarked and currently held in the account for the recreational center should be used for a feasibility study when it is appropriate in the university’s strategic planning process.

Additional funds remaining after this study should be allocated at the discretion of Zick in consultation with the SG officers Additional funds remaining after this study should be allocated at the discretion of Ken Zick, vice president of student life and instructional resources, in consultation with the SG officers.

Mathis approached Zick with this initiative after hearing from students that they wanted to know the status of the new recreational center as well as how the SAF fees were being spent. 

Mathis said students were concerned that their money was sitting idle rather than being used to go toward a new recreational center.

“I wanted to find a way that those dollars could invest into the campus life, while filling a need for increased resources for larger campus events,” Mathis said.

He said that a recreational center would cost millions of dollars, and the money allocated toward it through the SAF would cover only a small fraction of the total cost.

Students are encouraged to “think big” when planning events that enhance the quality of student life, but major events are very expensive and therefore not always possible within the limits of the current funds.

“This plan is not meant to put the rec center on hold, but it is meant to put resources in the hands of students until such a time the students are able to make a decision about the future of SAF and the rec center,” Mathis said.

The SAF fund currently helps fund events such as aWake All Night, Shag on the Mag, parts of homecoming as well as parts of last fall’s Inaugural Ball.

Mathis made his proposal to reallocate the SAF fee due to the success of such events and because the fund could no longer support larger activities such as concerts, Zick said.

According to Mathis, the increased SAF funds will go toward making currently funded SAF events bigger and better, sponsoring more social events similar to the Inaugural Ball and other large campus-wide events as well as bringing larger and better-known entertainers to campus.

“It encourages students to think even bigger about campus activities,” he said.

In addition to the reallocation of the SAF dollars, Mathis’s proposal suggests that the approximately $385,000 that has already been earmarked for the recreational center over the past two years goes towards a feasibility study.

He proposed that this study would include possibilities for space and placement as well as other concerns relating to the center such as the usage of facility and other operating aspects that are necessary in a capital expansion project.

However, such a study would not occur until approved by President Nathan O. Hatch in accordance with his strategic plan.

Even though SG has approved this reallocation of funds, it continues to support the idea of a recreational center.

When the university finalizes and releases plans about the construction of the recreational center, then student leadership will convene to decide how to allocate SAF dollars, Mathis said. However, at this point in time, he is not sure when this will be.

According to Zick, the university is about to undergo a strategic planning process that will last about a year and will determine priorities that could include the construction of the recreational center as well as many other aspects of the university including academics and support for faculty.