All requests passed unanimously excluding conflict of interest abstentions.

The Oregon State University Student Fee Committee, which is a part of the Associated Students of OSU executive branch, heard presentations and voted on the base budgets of all 10 student fee-funded units on Sunday, Nov. 19. These programs include the Department of Recreational Sports, student tickets to Beaver athletic events, Diversity and Cultural Engagement and others.  The units made their funding pitches for the fiscal year 2019 academic year and summer fiscal year 2020.

DCE, which oversees the OSU campus’ seven cultural centers, as well as other social justice efforts, received their request for an almost 20 percent increase. According to the program’s liaison Dang Duong, this additional cost is necessary to cover both the cost of an Auxiliaries and Activities Business Center assessment fee (which all units will pay this year), as well as an increase in pay for student workers and other program improvements. 

“Our spaces are open to anybody and everybody,” Duong said. “Hopefully everything is more inclusive as a team and as a family.”

Another unit which received an increase in fees beyond mandatory across-the-board increases was Recreational Sports. This fee will increase by $8.22 from this year, or 10.95 percent. Approximately half of this increase comes from the AABC assessment.

Beyond the exercise and recreation opportunities, student fees also provide funding for Division 1 Athletics. The Athletics Department receives money from a variety of sources, with fee dollars used to provide all students access to student tickets for free, according to SFC Liaison Alex Luther.

“We provide some of the best seats in the country at the most affordable cost, with access for all students,” Luther said. “There is something special about 9,000 students coming to a game and supporting the same thing at the same time.”

Last year, the Athletics student fee came under intense scrutiny in the joint session of the ASOSU Congress, which will follow the SFC Open Hearing scheduled for Monday, Nov. 27. At this meeting, some of budgets approved at this time will be reassessed with optional decision packages. Once the complete budgets are voted on by Congress, they will be sent to ASOSU President Simon Brundage, OSU President Ray and the OSU Board of Trustees for final approval.

In addition to the other programs, the SFC also approves the requested fee level of the ASOSU itself. The ASOSU budget has changed from last year, with increases due to the AABC assessment, as well as additional cost of $1.12 for the Night Owl bus. This transportation cost was moved from Student Leadership and Involvement, according to Eddie Torres, the chair of the ASOSU Student Advisory Board. To make up for these additions, the program reduced the number of staff members. Additionally, the hours SafeRide operates changed from 6 p.m. to 3 a.m. previously to 7 p.m. to 2 a.m.. 

For more information on these and the other units, you can read the full story

online at DailyBarometer.com