The Student Fee Review Board has just two weeks to allocate a projected $10.7 million in student fees. SFRB member Japji Hundal said members of the board must balance between keeping fees for students low and providing funding for groups that help students succeed at the University.
“I can’t afford to make a rash decision about funding,” he said. “The implications of a wrong decision are so much worse. In terms of which organizations … we will fund in what amounts, I don’t want to answer that right now. I just want to take a day or two to think and wait until we deliberate.”
The board will review the applications and presentations made by the 27 organizations requesting funding. Each member of the board will make recommendations on the amount to fund each organization, and their recommendations will be averaged during meetings Feb. 6 and 13. The averages will then be given to the President’s Strategic Budget Leadership Team by Feb. 15. The team votes on the final allocations by March 1.
Right now, the SFRB baseline student fees — the minimum amount students will be charged in fees for FY13 — is set at $460 per student, compared to last year’s $486.78. But that amount could go up if six out of the seven board members agree additional funding is needed.
Nine organizations lost guaranteed recurring funding on Thursday due to changes to SFRB rules. However, those organizations are still guaranteed a base amount by the SBLT.
