AS Finances
By BILL J. PERRY
Students at Fresno State give the student government a budget of about $550,000 a year to spend. But with 87 percent of students saying they rarely or never get involved in school politics – according to the recent Collegian survey – that means most students are unaware of how that money is used and that some of it is available for the asking.
“Students can apply for up to $2,000 on behalf of their club or organization,” said Jennifer Reimer, vice president of finance for Associated Students. “We have $90,000 to give out this year.”
That $90,000 fund comes from a yearly budget of more than a half million dollars, all financed by students who pay a $29 student fee each semester.
“Fifteen dollars of the $29 goes to Associated Students,” Reimer said. The rest goes to financial aid and intercollegiate athletics, she said.
One large portion of AS funds, totaling $193,477, is for administrative operations.
Reimer explained the process for requesting money for a club event.
“Go to the Web site, fill out the application, then turn it in to the Associated Students office,” she said. “The Finance Committee will then review it. The committee can allocate up to $1,000, if the committee agrees.
However, if it is for more than $1,000, the committee approves the first $1,000, and the rest goes to the full senate for approval. Applications should be turned in six weeks in advance.”
She said about 45 clubs had received event funding so far this year, with about $45,000 being allocated.
When it comes to larger, more expensive projects, a similar approval process is followed.
“We’ve used some of the budget for projects around campus,” Reimer said. “For example, we donated about $23,000 for a Jane Addams statue in the peace garden.”
Jane Addams, born in 1860 in Illinois, became the first American woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize, in 1931. She is remembered for founding a social settlement for immigrants in Chicago called Hull House and was known for her international efforts for world peace.
In addition to the statue, another key project this year has been the purchase of portable computers for Dog Days orientation.
“More than $11,500 is going to the Dog Days Program to buy laptops,” Reimer said. “These will be used during Dog Days to help students register and to demonstrate how to register for classes. They will also be used for other activities throughout the year.”
The readership program is also getting extra funding this year. The program makes available free copies USA Today, The Fresno Bee and The New York Times at selected locations around campus.
“We have a line item for new programs (under administered programs) budgeted for $19,000 that we can use,” Reimer said.
One ongoing AS project that was funded more than two years ago is Fresno State’s membership with the professor-rating Web site called Pick-A-Prof. A one-time setup fee of $5,000 was paid for use of the site.
The Web site, at www.pickaprof.com, is designed to allow students to read comments and ratings of professors whose classes they may be planning to take. It also allows students to leave comments and ratings of professors whose classes they’ve already taken.
Reimer said she was unsure how much the Web site is used.
“We’ve done some publicity about the site with a banner and business cards,” she said. “As students use it more often, there should be more ratings and comments.”
Given the responsibility of being entrusted with so much student money, Reimer said she believes she and previous finance officers have handled their jobs properly.
“My predecessors that I knew were very responsible,” she said. “I’ve never come across anything that indicates anything was done that was unwise.
“I think in the years I know about, AS has been very cautious. The things we have taken on have been well researched.”
She cites the example of the Jane Addams statue.
“This is something the finance committee had been considering for quite a while. We haven’t rushed into anything. We took our time, we researched how much money we’d used in the past and looked at the process of who would be represented in the statue, presented it to the senate, and it was eventually approved.”
Reimer is already starting the budget process for the 2005-06 fiscal year. Students from programs that are traditionally funded were scheduled for AS hearings in February to discuss next year’s financing.
Reimer said she realizes students are behind the funds that allow the student government to operate.
That’s why, she said, her goal is to use AS funds “for the greatest benefit of the students.”
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