Fee Advisory Minutes 2/8/2019

Meeting Minutes

February 8, 2019

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. Laura Watt, Chair of the Faculty

Members Absent:

• Carley Chatterley, AS President
• Dr. Hollis Robbins, Dean, School of Arts & Humanities as designee for Provost, VP for Academic Affairs

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

Gamboa commenced meeting at 4:05 pm.

AGENDA:

1. Approve Minutes.
2. Geology Course Fee Increase Request   
3. Course Fee Review 
   • 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

      

Minutes

1. Approve Minutes

Gamboa asked for corrections. Laura Waters is in Geology not Geography (GEP). Minutes approved after amendments.  

2. Geology Course Fee Increase Request

What should be covered under course fees and what should be covered under IRA?

Gamboa shared that the Geology department applied for IRA funding and was denied. FAC members expressed conflictions about raising fees and possibly losing students to other universities due to the high costs to become a Geology major or making it so only students with means could afford the major, but were in favor of showing true costs for taking the courses. Currently, students are told after enrollment that they need to pay extra for food and other expenses associated with field trips so it feels like a hidden fee.

Watt shared that there are a few majors where fields trips are there for pedagogical reasons and without them, you aren’t getting the quality education to properly prepare our students to go into those fields. Examples are Geology, Hutchins, Geography & Biology.

Gamboa asserted that a larger discussion is needed at the Cabinet level because there are other worthy programs that don’t have permanent funding, such as the cultural graduation ceremonies.

There was some discussion about the Student Success Fee which was not passed when it was presented via referendum 4-5 years ago. But this might have been a source of funding for these types of expenses. Dunstan wondered if we could revisit it. Holguin didn’t feel the timing was good due to the campus budgeting and planning process underway at this time.

The committee also talked about the former van pool and the problems that it presented. Didn’t seem like a viable solution.

Holguin suggested she draft a memo to the Provost to make her aware that these departments are now approaching FAC and IRA for funding to cover field trip expenses and express the conflicts both committees are having with putting the financial burden for pedagogical coursework onto the students. Perhaps see if she has any insights or suggestions to share?  

Action: Holguin will draft a letter to the Provost, and run it by Dr. Watt and Christina. Some insight from the Provost may help guide FAC in their decision.

3. Course Fee Review 
   • 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)

Holguin ran through the list of course fees that FAC had already discussed and what action they wanted to take at this time.

• RT030 – Geography 314 Field Experience. This course has been deleted. They want to spend it down for Social Sciences fields trips and then close it.

Action:  Verify they are spending down these funds and mark it for closure when all funds are exhausted.

• RT042 – Nursing Skills lab 301

Ross will bring an updated course fee balances spreadsheet so we can see if they are spending down as they indicated.

Gamboa noted that the department said they were spending from the wrong fund. She wonders why they need the course fee then?

Holguin asserted that new faculty may not have known about this fund, and the expenses have been in alignment with policy.

Gamboa: Would like more information about what’s really happening with these funds?

Dunstan: $165 seems like a lot and would like to know what types of things this is supposed to cover.

Action: Ask for more information. Explain the administrative error and what funds have they been using?

• RT076 – Special Topics Art 298-498 (multiple questions)

Gamboa: Topics vary and therefore supplies vary.

Holguin: They have this fee set up as a range. As soon as a student signs up for a course, the fee is added.

O’Brien: Students could be charged later. 

Watt: Offer class B when it needs money and class A when it doesn’t. 

Should have appropriate fee assigned to each topic.

Action: Ask that they separate the courses and assign appropriate fees to each special topic. They would have to come back to FAC with the courses and the fees and route through the curricular committee to get course codes.

• RT088 – Monochrome print

Gamboa: They were planning on spending it so would like to see if they have. Updated course fee balance will give us this info.

Action:  Will confirm at next meeting when Ross provides the current fund balances.

• RT023 – Coms 385

Dunstan and Gamboa both expressed alarm at how this fund is being managed and at the fund balance of $10k.  Apparently, the department is saving money for new equipment. They are also requesting IRA money for a new studio because they have to move. When Stevenson is remodeled Studio Blue, Primitivo, STAR, and KSUN will build one media center in Salazar for all four groups. All are funded by IRA.

Action:  Holguin proposed FAC wait for Dean Robbins to join the discussion with this particular fund since it resides in her school. All agreed.

• RT069 – Modern Languages (CLOSE)
• RT043 – Modern Languages Lab (CLOSE)
• RT111- COMS 340 (CLOSE)

COMS 340 is Primitivo. They plan to spend down. They receive IRA funding so they don’t need this fund.

Action:  Close RT069, RT043 and RT111 when balances reach zero.

Before closing, Holguin shared that the Credential Evaluation Fee would be coming to FAC with an increase request. This is a Fee for Service. Although a Category IV fund, which is not under the purview of FAC, campus practice is that ALL fees are reviewed by FAC and recommendations made to the President.

Meeting concluded at 5:03pm.

Minutes submitted by Sue Hardisty