Fund revamps out-of-date classrooms
The Academic Senate approved a total of $75,000 in funding for improvements to various classrooms around campus at the senate’s Classroom Improvement Fund meeting Monday.
These improvements ranged from new dressmaker’s forms for the theatre department – about $1,900 – to new furniture and equipment for a veterinary science laboratory – about $16,500.
According to the Tier II Tuition Proposal released March 2006, the money for this fund comes from Tier II tuition. Tier I tuition is set each year by the State Board of Regents, said Whitney Pugh, executive director of the Budget and Planning Office.
Tier II tuition varies by university, and both Tier I and Tier II tuition stay at USU to be used for various university expenses, he said.
The Academic Senate originally proposed more than $100,000 in improvements.
Tanner Wright, Academic Senate president, said having a proposal greater than available funds is a good thing.
“Being over on this is a good thing,” Wright said. “It means the senators were thorough in searching their colleges for classrooms to improve.”
The senate rejected a proposal of approximately $9,400 to supply new chairs and tables for the Fine Arts Visual Building.
Mary Jacobson, senator from the Caine College of the Arts, said she had “mixed feelings” about her proposal being cut. She said the classroom the proposal would have benefitted is FAV 113E. The classroom has outdated furniture and equipment, with most of the mismatching chairs coming from the 1970s, she said.
Kevin Webb, program coordinator in the Student Involvement and Leadership Office, said the Fine Arts Visual Building received about $21,000 from last year’s Classroom Improvement Fund for technological updates.
“The college needs to step it up and get its own funding for this project,” Webb said.
“Something has to not be funded,” Jacobson said. “The arts senator for next year will just have to apply for the money again.”
The senate also rejected a request for approximately $6,800 for a geology classroom that needs acoustic improvements. Joe Watson, senator from the College of Science, said he could accept losing the funds for Geology Room 105 in exchange for the $16,526 for improvements to the veterinary science laboratories. He said this laboratory is frequently used by students from the College of Science.
“(The professional) vet science program is new,” said Jarvis Pace, senator from the College of Agriculture. “And nothing says, ‘Welcome to a new program’ like a crappy lab.”
Watson said the acoustic problems in the geology classroom might be fixed next year anyway when the carpet will be replaced.
The senate also rejected an approximately $14,700 proposal for improvements to the Academic Senate Chambers. This proposal would have provided new chairs, lighting, and other cosmetic improvements to the senate’s chambers.
“I think taking money away from the general student body for these kind of improvements is a bad idea,” said Scot Marsden, senator from the Huntsman School of Business. “These improvements would not benefit as many students as the other proposals.”
Webb said he agreed with Marsden but that the senate chambers proposal was made only as a “backup proposal.” He said when the senate chambers proposal was made, only $45,000 worth of proposals had been developed.
Taya Flores, budget officer in the Office of the Vice President for Student Services, said if the full $75,000 is not used, any remaining funds are flushed into a central account to be dispersed for various university needs.
“We just wanted to make sure the funds were being used for their intended purpose,” Webb said. “However, I think the senators’ decision to reject this proposal in favor of the others is in keeping with the spirit of the fund.”
Classrooms in the College of Agriculture were awarded a total of about $22,000; the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, about $18,800; the College of Science, about $15,300; and the Caine College of the Arts, about $11,500. Classrooms in the College of Education and the College of Engineering were each awarded their single proposals of $6,300 and $970, respectively. Senators from the College of Natural Resources and the Huntsman School of Business did not make any funding requests.
According to the Classroom Improvement Fund Rules and Regulations, the fund is available only to rooms on campus where classes are held, and is used primarily for minor renovations or improvements. These rooms do not have to house regularly scheduled classes, Webb said.
– rouchelle.brockman@aggiemail.usu.edu