The Student Activity Fee distribution list was released during the summer and serves to outline exactly where students’ collective $827,351 is disbursed.
Per the 2011-12 school year, the Student Activity Fee is $5.30 per credit hour, per student. The Student Life Committee — comprised of eight students, two faculty members, and two staff members — decides how much money is to be allocated in various group accounts.
In order to receive money, the university’s accounts have to submit a request of the funds they wish to be allotted to them.
Ruth Garvey-Nix, vice chancellor of Student Affairs, said if a given account requests more money than the previous year, there are several factors in deciding whether the request will be granted.
“The factors considered include justification and documentation of the need from the account manager, historical records of use of funding, consideration of all other requests for funding and the amount of funding available,” Garvey-Nix said.
A new account — Family and Parent Programs — was established this year, which received $7,650. The programs exist to establish a stronger tie between students and family members to the university.
Another new account — the Pep Band — also was funded this year and received $16,500.
Although the Pep Band has been funded, it has not been developed as of yet. If the Pep Band is not developed this year, Garvey-Nix said the funds will return to the Student Activity account at the end of this fiscal year.
The IUS Athletics Department and the university’s individual sports teams received $424,233 this year — more than half of the budget.
Williams said the $169,403 placed in the Athletics account will go toward the everyday running of the department. This is separate from the individual accounts of the various teams.
Funds in the individual accounts of the Athletic Department can only be spent on that individual team or group.
“The money in the budget of the individual accounts will go to things like uniforms and equipment,” Williams said.
The Children’s Center received $127,390, which was $2,306 more than last year. The center was the second highest amount to be collected by a single account.
“I believe the increase was based on raises by IU since the monies the center receives from the Student Activity Fee covers the center’s compensation,” Wanda Gregory, coordinator for the Children’s Center said. “Any money we receive helps cover salary for the employees.”
The Student Government Association collected $12,897. Although the organization had requested slightly more than what they received, they were awarded the same amount as last year.
Josh Kornberg, communications senior and SGA president, said the group had trouble tracking their labor hours and expenditures, which led to not all of the group expenditures being traced.
“When we don’t spend all of the funds procured for us, we will not most likely get an increase the following year because we can’t even show that we can spend all the money we are given the previous year,” Kornberg said.
The Student Planner account also received the same amount of money as last year’s budget.
By ANNIE MALKA
Profiles Editor
amalka@umail.iu.edu
