3-30-21 SFAC Minutes

SFAC Minutes

Tuesday, March 30, 2021

AGENDA

1. Welcome

2. Approval of March 16 Minutes (Action)

3. Amended Orientation Fees Proposal (time certain 12:15pm) (Action)

4. Update: Fee Task Force Recommendations (Informational)

MEMBERS:

Jonathan Juarez Dominguez

Laura Monje-Paulson

Noelia Brambila

Briana Sanchez (absent)

Melissa Kadar

Emily Miller

Hollis Robbins

Jeffrey Reeder (absent)

Elizabeth O’Brien

Non-Voting Staff to the Committee:

Sue Hardisty

Erik Dickson (absent)

Hayley Avery (absent)

Laura Lupei (absent)

Hilary Smith

F. Shanon Little

GUESTS:

Jamie Zamjahn, Sr. Director, Student Success & Advising

Colleen Mahoney, Coordinator, Orientation & Family Programs

MINUTES

Welcome. Meeting was called to order at 12:03pm by Co-Chair Juarez.

Approval of March 16 minutes.

Missing from the minutes was the roll call vote on the Orientation Fee proposal to reduce the fee from $255 to $125 for FTFY students and increase the fee from $35 to $115 for FTT students. Juarez called for a roll call vote so they could be properly recorded in the minutes. The clerk will record that 7 members voted yes and 2 members were absent during the vote. Minutes were approved with noted changes to the vote results.

Amended Orientation Fee Proposal

Pre-proposal discussion:

A member expressed concerns about the timing for implementation of the new fee structure since Orientation will begin accepting registrations on April 15.

Another member wondered what factors were considered for the revised fee proposal besides the coordinator salary.

Chair Monje-Paulson shared that there is still an element of uncertainty around how the salaries will be covered. However, there is an agreement that it’s a university priority that the Orientation professional staff salary not be funded through student fees. She also shared that the committee can include their perspectives and reservations about the increase in fees for transfer students in the President’s Decision Memo so the President can also make an informed decision.

12:15pm Jamie Zamjahn and Colleen Mahoney joined the meeting.

Zamjahn thanked the committee for inviting them back and for their prior approval of the first fee proposal. The news that the Coordinator’s salary no longer needs to be covered through student fees allowed them to reassess their proposed fee structure. Based on that factor, as well as new headcount projections for both FTFY and FTT students, and SFAC’s concern for the high increase in Orientation fees for FTT students, it was determined they could adjust the proposed fee from $115 down to $85. FTT will be getting an expanded orientation experience. Though we have the highest graduation rates for transfer students, Zamjahn thinks there is still room for improvement. They will now get their own dedicated peer success coach through the summer and academic year as well as access to a technology module designed specifically for transfer students.

A member asked where we stand now with transfer fees across the CSU system? 13 campuses have posted their fees at around $85 - $90. Other campuses are restructuring their fees the same as we are.

Another member asked for an explanation on how they arrived at the fee figures. She anticipated reductions in fees for both FTFY and FTT students.

Zamjahn explained that they looked at multiple factors but mainly they realized there would be more FTT so they could only reduce the fees for that cohort. He also shared that he tends to be conservative with budget planning.

Robbins appreciates the process of revisiting these fees to make them align with what is currently happening.

The Orientation office has been informed that the Coordinator salary will be moved to base budget under GI2025 funding. Thus, the new proposal is to keep the fee at $125 for FTFY and increase the fee from $35 to $85 for FTT. This will allow Orientation Programs to provide similar services and technology to both cohorts of students in a more equitable manner.

Co-Chair Juarez asked for a roll call vote:

Yes No Absent

Miller 1 Sanchez
Kadar 2 Reeder
Brambila
Robbins
O’Brien
Monje-Paulson
Juarez

Zamjahn thanked the committee for their approvals and asked the committee to try to expedite the Decision Memo for presidential approval so the fees could be implemented prior to Orientation Registration on April 15.

Update on Decision Memo on IRA applications for current programs to reapply next year. Co-Chair Monje-Paulson added this item to the agenda.

She briefly shared that due to budget uncertainties, it was decided to open the application process to existing programs only. Later, we will assess the health of the budget and see what the enrollment numbers are and determine if we are able to open the application process to new programs. We would appoint an SFAC Executive committee to review programs over the summer as a temporary approach. We are moving forward to get Presidential approval so we can open up the application period for current programs.

Update: Fee Task Force Recommendations

Monje-Paulson shared that a workgroup that included herself, Erik Dickson, Gerald Jones and Anna Reynolds-Smith, met to review the Fee Task Force Recommendations and determine which areas of campus were most appropriate to implement those recommendations. Many will need to establish advisory boards, which likely will include faculty and student representatives, to develop processes for implementation of the recommendations. So that is the next step.

With no further discussion, Co-Chair Juarez adjourned the meeting at 12:36pm.

Minutes submitted by Sue Hardisty.