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News

Groups request funds from SFAC

Organizations present needs and achievements to committee, 
ask for fee support for next fiscal year

COUGAR NEWS STAFF

Student Fees Advisory Committee hearings continued Friday, and today marks the final open meeting before deliberations begin.

The Athletics Department, which receives more than 30 percent of SFAC allocations, requested a budget of $3.93 million with no increases from the last fiscal year. 

Athletics Director Dave Maggard outlined progress made over the past five years in terms of graduation rates among University athletes and the number of scholarships awarded to athletes through Cougar Pride, a group founded in 2003 to support scholarships and promote Athletics awareness.

Maggard also said that Robertson Stadium needs renovations to bring the facility's quality up. For example, he said, the stadium's lighting is not adequate to broadcast night games.

The Health Center made a base request of $1.55 million and asked for a base augmentation of $155,250.

Representatives of the Health Center said the increase would help them offer more competitive salaries in order to retain personnel.

"One of our major problems has been to attract and keep confident personnel due to the problem of salaries," Dr. James Gray, chief physician, said.

When a full-time physician or pharmacist leaves, the Health Center must hire temporary replacements through an agency at much greater cost, the center's report said, noting that the facility would have saved $75,000 over the past year with the retention of full-time staff. The report said personnel leave the Health Center for job offers at up to one and one-half times their salary at UH.

The Urban Experience Program made a base request of $90,000 and a one-time request for $4,119 to pay for a printer. The program's report noted that UEP has successfully sought outside funding for support and had two students graduate cum laude 2006.

On the lack of diversity of students helped through UEP, which recorded that of the 83 students it assisted over the past year 62 were black, Director Robbie Evans said those are simply the demographics of the students seeking aid.

"We don't have an ethnicity we take in, we take in everybody," Evans said.

Academic Achievers, sponsored by the UH Center of Mexican American Studies, provides financial and academic aid to underrepresented students to promote recruitment and graduation, and requested a budget augmentation of $10,656 to pay for a full-time office assistant position to handle an expected increase in students.

The Activities Funding Board provides money to registered student organizations to help hold events on campus or conferences, and requested a base budget of $107,417. AFB also requested guidance regarding whether to include retreats, which often involve a UH student-organized event for a small number of people, should continue to receive funding from the board.

Dean of Students William Munson asked AFB Financial Officer Derrick English to write out the request for the SFAC to consider during deliberations once Monday's hearings are completed.

Campus Recreation also made a base request of $484,382, and representatives asked for a one-time allocation of $41,666 to cover one-third of the construction of a ropes course for the Leadership Initiatives Facilitating Teamwork program.

"You'll be able to feel and learn and experience the true and immediate consequences of communication, of decision making, of risk taking, and that's something you can't get by sitting in a classroom," Bryan Ng, an assistant director at Campus Recreation, said.

The Student Government Association requested an identical budget to Fiscal Year 2007, with the exception of a mandated salary raise for the SGA secretary on staff.

The SGA also outlined progress over the past year, including improved lighting around campus, and their continued goals, such as reducing textbook prices.

The marching band and spirit squad made a base request of $171,400, plus an $80,000 one-time allocation to cover travel expenses.

"One of the important aspects of what we do is ambassadorship for the University," Band Director David Bertman said. "I think it comes back to us in large ways."

The Blaffer Gallery made a $15,000 base budget request and a one-time allocation of $5,000.

"Having direct access to works of art that have been created by professional artists … is a very eye-opening experience," Director Terrie Sultan said.

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