Budget Breaker

PHOTO | COURTESY OF STUART PILBROW, FLICKR

It is that time of the year when every organization is wondering how much money they will receive for their next year’s budget. Before asking this question, it is very important to understand the process of how this is determined, and who helps in the decision making process.

Yearly, anyone that wants to be considered for money turns in an application, which is reviewed by the Student Fee Advisory Committee. This committee is responsible for advising the administration on the type, amount and expenditure of necessary fees for student services.

Dr. Don Albrecht, Vice President for Students Affairs explains, “You need to assume the committee doesn’t know about your organization. If you don’t say why you are important, the committee doesn’t understand.”

After looking carefully at each application, the committee sends a proposal to the President of the University. Dr. Don Albrecht says, “The committee gives recommendations to the President; they don’t decide.”

After the recommendation is reviewed by the President, the signed documents with the final decision are sent to the Vice President of Student Services and to the Vice President of Business and Finance. Here the Student Services budget is revised with the overall budget of the entire University.

Currently, the Student Fee Advisory Committee has already sent a recommendation to Dr. O’Brien, West Texas A&M University’s President. The proposal has already been reviewed and signed by him.

Now, with a clear understanding of how the process works, it is relevant to unmask one of the greatest myths of this year’s budget. Texas Public Universities have been asked to make cuts that make up 5 percent of the state-funded portion of their budgets. It is important to know that in WT, this cut will NOT be seen in the Student Services Budget.

Dr. Patrick O’Brien, WT’s President says, “I don’t see any reason in the world for changing Student Services’ allocation.”

Even though Student Services’ allocation will remain untouched, many wonder why budgets seem to get smaller.

The last change that affected the Student Services’ budget was in 2008, when Athletics stopped being part of Student Services. This meant that there was more money to fund more groups.

However, in the past years, there have been new requests from groups in WT’s campus. Dr. Albrecht explains, “The fee hasn’t changed, but groups continue; there are lots of new requests.”

The Student Services’ Advisory Committee tries to meet everyone’s needs, but it is hard to do this when more groups need a budget.

Another significant aspect to understand is the process of one-time expenses that an organization may need. Dr. Albrecht says, “It doesn’t inflate your budget. Any time you feel you need, we always save and set aside a budget for new costs.”

If an organization or group knows, when fall starts, about a need they might have, there is an application for special funding from Student Services’ fee that they can send. This application needs to pass through certain steps and signatures. It first has to pass through the advisor to the dean of the department and finally to the Vice President of Students Affairs.

Some Allocated Funds, 2009 – 2010 Student Services Budget