All it took was a single phone call, and Betsy Hays found herself a member of the Instructionally Related Activities (IRA) Advisory Board.

“I got a call from John Welty,â€Â said the assistant professor, who teaches in the mass communication and journalism department at Fresno State. Hays said she had previously served with Welty on the President’s Ad Hoc Communication Advisory Task Force.

Hays is one of six individuals who serves on the committee, which is responsible for allotting student fee money to campus organizations for a variety of school-related activities. She takes her position very seriously.

“We look at every proposal on an individual basis and at all of the factors regarding each,â€Â she said, “but especially under consideration is the number of students who will benefit from any particular activity.â€Â

Deciding on how much to give to which organization requires the input of all six members. “We go through the parameters on each application form to determine if it meets the criteria,â€Â Hays said. “Then we take a look at our budget and see how much we’ll be able to give.â€Â

But there usually isn’t enough for everyone. “We always end up with many more requests than dollars,â€Â Hays said. “We really try to accommodate as many proposals as possible. We try to fund as much as we can.â€Â

Hays started out as a babysitter at the age of 12 — her first experience with money.

“I would spend every dime I had,â€Â she said. “I was always borrowing from my brother, but then eventually I learned how to save.â€Â

Hays̢۪ mom, Nancy Tucker, is proud of how her daughter learned to handle her finances.

“Betsy was very responsible with her money,â€Â Tucker said. “She and her brother got an allowance, and she always did her chores and helped her grandma.â€Â

After graduating from Fresno State in 1991 with a degree in journalism, Hays got a real-world job.
“My first real job after college was as an account executive for a public relations agency,â€Â she said. “I did that on and off for about six years before I started teaching.â€Â

Hays received her master̢۪s degree in mass communication and journalism from Fresno State in 1999 and has been teaching ever since. And when it comes to the IRA, the students come first.

“Students’ opinions are very important,â€Â she said. “That’s why we have a student chairing the committee. Probably my main goal is to help the committee make decisions on what’s important, especially when deciding what types of IRA activities will most benefit students.â€Â

The organizations that receive the most funding, in Hays’ opinion, are the engineering, music and theatre departments. “They usually have very expensive projects,â€Â she said. “You can’t really make a car or airplane on just $1,000. It can’t be done.â€Â

Conflicts of interest are fairly common for a committee made up of three students and three faculty from different departments.

“We have a pretty straightforward method regarding conflicts of interest,â€Â Hays said. “That particular person simply does not vote.â€Â

What Hays feels she brings most to her role as a member of the IRA committee is her experience.

“I have a really good understanding of what the university does not pay for,â€Â she said. Food and salaries are two items that are often requested, but cannot be funded by IRA money.

Robyn Hickman, one of Hays̢۪ students, agreed.

“Professor Hays understands the importance of education, both in and especially outside of the classroom,â€Â said Hickman, the past president of the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA). Hays advises the group.

Hickman said of Hays, “She is dedicated to ensuring that students have the opportunity to further their education through the use of IRA funds.â€Â