Meeting Minutes

December 7, 2018

Members Present:

• John Dunstan, AS Exec. Vice President
• Arden Childers, Student at Large (arrived when Gamboa left at 11:52am)
• Christina Gamboa, AS Vice President for Finance and FAC Co-Chair
• Stacy Heldman-Holguin, Designee for VP for Student Affairs, and FAC Co-Chair
• Fernando Mendoza, Student at Large
• Elizabeth O’Brien, as designee for Joyce Lopes, VP for Admin. & Finance
• Dr. Hollis Robbins, Dean, School of Arts & Humanities as designee for Provost, VP for Academic Affairs

Members Absent:

• Carley Chatterley, AS President
• Laura Watt, Chair of the Faculty

Staff Present

• Sue Hardisty, Staff Support to FAC
• Hayley Ross, University Budget Manager
• Hilary C. Smith, Research Services & User Experience Librarian; Student Affairs Committee Rep

Staff Absent:

• Erik Dickson, Executive Director, Associated Students
• Susan Gutierrez, Director of Financial Aid

   

Guest:

• Dr. Laura Waters, Department of Geology

Holguin commenced meeting at 4:04pm.

AGENDA:

1. Approve Minutes

2. Geology Course Fee Increase Request                                  Laura Waters, 4:10-4:40p t.c.

3. Sports Clubs/Primitivo

Decision needed:

Choices:

• Reopen funding to Sports Clubs and/or Primitivo;
• Finalize cancellation of funding to sports clubs and/or Primitivo;
• Stay for more questions

4. Course Fee Review  (if time permits)
   • RT030 – Social Science Field Trip
   • RT042 – Nursing Skills lab 301
   • RT076 – Special Topics Art 298-498 (multiple questions)
   • RT088 – Monochrome print
   • RT023 – Coms 385
   • RT069 – Modern Languages (CLOSE)
   • RT043 – Modern Languages Lab (CLOSE)
   • RT111- Coms 340 (Close or suspend?) – question about type of expenditures

5. Spring Meeting Dates

Minutes

1. Approve Minutes

Holguin asked for corrections. Correction to page 2, RT010. You do not get a card. You get a receipt that allows you to sign up in the Central Issue Room. Remove “Athletics has their own system for towels.” Change 3rd sentence in paragraph 2 on page 4 to read “Hollis raised a question about equity for funding between departments.” Minutes approved after amendments.

1. Geology  Course Fee Increase Request

FAC began a discussion about the Geology proposal while waiting for the presenter to arrive.

IRA programs are 5 year funding plans but each year the program must provide an assessment of how funds were utilized and the benefits to students. Each program may request changes annually. Dunstan recommends that the department be funded through IRA rather than through Course Fees because IRA is already funded (there is a large reserve to spend down) and course fees are not.

Holguin responded that we would have to further analyze the precedent set by moving in the direction of funding fieldtrips for fieldwork specific course through IRA funds. Even though there is money available in that fund, we must review the intent of the funding programs.

Dr. Waters, guest presenter, arrived and shared:

Field courses are major requirements. There have been no fee adjustments since 2004, and the departments need to supplement every year. Watt first explained what a Geologist does. SSU courses cover ¾ of skills you need to be a practicing geologist.

Field trips include a field area selected by the instructor where students collect data. (Sample reports passed around)

Waters went over the current costs which showed vehicle rentals and gas as the highest expense. Two courses are 10-day trips. Costs are variable depending on location and if water/toilets are available. Meals are shared (more cost efficient) and costs $60/person/trip or $12/person/day. Currently food costs are collected by the Geology Club and becomes a surprise to the students (sort of a hidden fee). Costs to run GEOL 308 is $3300 for 10 students (with 11 being the historic enrollment). The course runs a deficit. $195 course fee, if inflation were added, would increase to $259 in today’s dollars. Courses with low fees run high deficits.

Request $60 to include the money for food so the cost is upfront and not a surprise to the students. Also, requests to consider inflation @ ~ $64.  Historical enrollments is <15. Since 2013-14, GEOL 308 has gone over 15 enrollments. 

Holguin had a question about sequence of courses and how many courses students would take in a semester or year.

Response: Student could be enrolled in up to three of the field courses in a semester. In a year they could be in four or five. GEOL 308, 314 and 315 would be taken at same time, but they are trying to change the schedule so students don’t need to take more than two in a given semester.

A member asked “What is the impact on the dep’t to cover the deficit?”

Response: Due to liability risk, the department is required to rent vans from Enterprise, so the department and School of Science and Technology share the deficit.  Sedimentology takes 2 extra day-trips so that’s why the new proposed fee is higher than the rest.

Dunstan feels the department should apply for and accept IRA funds first. Holguin suggested FAC look at the requirements and intentions for both funding sources. IRA funds are to enhance instruction where course fees are integral to being able to offer the course. So if they receive both fund requests from IRA and FAC, what does that look like in terms of real costs. The department has submitted proposals in both IRA and FAC.

FAC Decision: FAC will discuss further and a decision made by first of the year.

3. Primitivo  -

   Gamboa motioned to move Primitivo to first tier and sports clubs stay in second tier. This is a motion to reopen access to sports clubs under SSU IRA fund policy so they can participate in a 2nd round of funding. FAC/IRA would need to establish a process to permit this level of funding.

   Vote: 6 in favor, none opposed.

   Holguin will go over this with Dr. Watt and Carley Chatterly.

Next meeting will finish reviews, and decide on GEP proposal.

Meeting concluded at 5:00pm.

Minutes submitted by Sue Hardisty