GAF totals for transportation and wellness services flip flop and change
March 20, 2019
Weeks after finalizing the General Activity Fee (GAF), the topic was once again a hot topic at the March 18 Students’ Association meeting. The plan was submitted to the Board of Regents and has returned with a few changes.
The original GAF strategic plan recommended funding Frost Arena renovations in year one and the athletic operations in year two. The BOR’s plan flips the two. Frost Arena renovations will be funded the original $3 per credit hour in 2021 and athletics operations will be funded its original $1.01 per credit hour in 2020.
Wellness Services’ original 95 cents is split between two years. In year one, Wellness Services receives 75 cents per credit and 20 cents per credit hour.
Sen. Nick Lorang moved to amend the GAF analysis. In this amendment, Wellness Center and transportation funding were altered by a few cents.
So instead of getting 75 cents per credit hour and 20 cents per credit hour in year one and two, the Wellness Center will get 76 cents in year one and 19 cents in year two. Transportation amended by one cent so in the first year it gets 9 cents, instead of 10 cents and 81 cents instead of 80 cents in year two.
This amendment passed.
Here’s what GAF looks like right now. In blue are the areas that the Board of Regents changed, in red text are the totals changed by the amendment. Year one and two were changed, while the other years remained the same.
President Allyson Monson assured everyone that changes to the GAF plan “wouldn’t affect things students are super excited about, like the extended Wellness Center hours.”
Senators also discussed the Athletics Memorandum. The next step is to take a vote, which would no longer make the memorandum a draft. Senators made the decision to wait another week to vote.
“Since we did clarify that it’s not time-sensitive, I think we should take another week to finalize everything,” Sen. Amber Alvey said.
Jessica Rients with Parking Services also took the floor to listen to feedback from senators about parking issues. Senators asked questions to reflect their constituents’ concerns in order to find out more information about some common issues with Parking Services.
Several questions were answered concerning wintertime parking and Parking’s revenue, giving senators a better understanding of why Parking Services does the things it does.
Sen. Lorang thanked Rients on behalf of the Students’ Association.
“As a group we need to commit to stop tolerating complaints about parking and instead educate students about parking,” he said.
The Institute of Transportation Engineers constitution and the Badminton Club constitution were approved. Senators voiced their support for each group and the factors they will play in enabling students to get more involved, whether that is professionally or athletically.
The Political Science Club Special Allocation was approved as well. This money will enable the club to take members to Winnipeg and visit the Human Rights Museum.
Students’ Association will meet again at 7 p.m., March 25 in the Lewis and Clark Room of the Student Union.
*The GAF amendment was misprinted. This story includes the proper totals.
