S&A Committee Charge and Procedural Guidelines

07/02/15

Attachment A


Western Washington University


SERVICES AND ACTIVITIES COMMITTEE CHARGE AND PROCEDURAL GUIDELINES


Per RCW 28B.15.041, Services and Activities Fees are defined as “fees, other than tuition fees, charged to all students registering at the….state colleges and universities.” “Services and Activities fees shall be used…for the express purpose of funding student activities and programs.”


Committee Charge

The S&A Fee Committee is charged with the responsibility of evaluating existing programs, proposed programs and program priorities that are funded by S&A fees. The Committee proposes to the WWU administration and the Board of Trustees the annual S&A fee level and the distribution of S&A fee revenue to student activities and programs. These recommendations cover the academic year S&A fee and the summer session S&A fee.


Committee Reportage

The S&A Fee Committee reports to the Board of Trustees through the University President and their designee the Vice President for Enrollment and Student Services, who provides administrative and advisory support to the committee through the appointment of a non-voting designee as well as ensuring clerical support.


Committee Composition


The S&A Fee Committee is comprised of a majority of voting student members, a voting faculty member, a designee of the Vice President for Enrollment and Student Services and non-voting faculty or staff representing the major funded areas.

 

Voting Members (a total of 7):

  • Faculty representative from a non-S&A fee funded department appointed by the Faculty Senate
  • Students representing the following constituent areas. Associated Students (2), Athletics (1), Campus Recreation –IMA/Club Sports (1), and Departmental Related Activities (2)


Selection Process:

Each constituent area recommends student representatives subject to approval by the Associated Students Board of Directors.

Student representative recommendations may be designated by a committee that has a majority of students as voting members or designated by a department director/manager after a selection process that is advertised to students within the department/activity and includes students in the selection process.


Non-Voting Members

  • Chairperson of the Department Related Activities Committee (DRAC) or a faculty/staff representative selected by DRAC
  • Director of Student Activities or their designee
  • Director of Campus Recreation or their designee
  • Director of Athletics or their designee
  • Vice President for Enrollment and Student Services’ designee who will serve as the Administrative Coordinator

The non-voting members of the committee shall serve as advisors to the student representative(s) from their constituent area and assist the committee in completing its responsibilities.


Chairperson

The Administrative Coordinator shall serve as temporary chairperson of the committee until an election of the chairperson can be held.

The chairperson will be elected annually by the voting members of the committee. If no voting members stand for election, the Administrative Coordinator will serve as chairperson.

The election of the chairperson will be held after the training/orientation for committee members has taken place but no later than the 4th meeting.

The duties of the chairperson will be to:

  • Call the meetings of the committee
  • Prepare meeting agendas and other necessary documents
  • Facilitate meetings making rules on procedure as necessary and ensuring that all members have the opportunity to participate
  • Represent the S&A Fee Committee to the campus community
  • Represent the S&A Fee Committee to the administration and Board of Trustees

 

Vice Chairperson

In years where there is interest, a student on the committee may be elected to serve as Vice Chairperson. In this capacity the elected student will assist the Chairperson, lead meetings in the Chairperson’s absence and be afforded the opportunity to be more deeply involved in the operation of the committee.


Administrative Coordinator

The duties of the Administrative Coordinator will be to:

  • Call the first meeting of the year
  • Serve as temporary chairperson
  • Organize committee member training/orientation
  • Serve as advisor to the chairperson
  • Communicate with university offices including the office of the Vice President for Enrollment and Student Services and the University Budget Office to obtain information necessary to conduct committee business
  • Ensure meeting notification is communicated, documents and materials are submitted in a timely manner, official minutes are maintained and relevant information is available to the campus community.

 

Rules of Operation and Responsibilities of Membership

The committee operates under Roberts Rules of Order (small group). The responsibility of developing and maintaining communication within the S&A Fee Committee and with the rest of the campus community is shared by all members. Active participation in the deliberations of the committee is expected of all members as is a willingness to engage in constructive dialogue on any issues being considered by the committee.


Quorum

Decisions will not be made without a quorum of at least four voting members.


Meetings

S&A Fee Committee meetings are subject to the Washington State Open Public Meetings Act. This requires that a schedule of the committee’s regular meetings, including date, time and place of meetings, be filed with the code reviser each year. Notification of regular meetings will be provided to the campus community via the S&A Fee Committee website and other suitable and accessible means. The committee may call special meetings. Notice of such meetings, including a meeting agenda, shall be posted on the committee website and on the main door of Old Main and the building in which the meeting is to take place. Each year’s meetings will commence fall quarter and conclude spring quarter. Meetings may be cancelled if there is no business to conduct.


Dissemination of Information

The S&A Fee Committee will share information with the campus community and the public via its website. Information to be available on the committee website includes: meeting schedules/agendas, meeting minutes, proposed fee level, proposed budgets and allocations, BOT approved budgets, and annual expenditure reports (by September 30 for the previous year).


S&A Fee Allocation Requests

Each constituent group will ensure appropriate student involvement in the development of their program and budget proposals. All constituents will present their budget requests in a standardized format on an agreed upon schedule. Budget requests are to include the following:

  • The current year’s operating budget including the S&A Fee allocation, other revenue, expenses and beginning and projected year-end balances
  • Budget information from the previous year including the S&A Fee allocation, other revenue, expenses and beginning and year-end balances
  • Current reserve fund account levels and information on the policies that direct the use of these funds
  • Proposed budget for the following year including the requested S&A Fee allocation, projected revenue, projected expenses and projected year-end balances.
  • A narrative on budget needs, concerns and issues which includes a prioritization of requested new dollars


Public Hearings

The committee will hold a preliminary public hearing after the receipt and presentation of all constituent budget proposals but before the committee develops fee level and budget recommendations. This can be incorporated into a business meeting with appropriate notification.

Following the preliminary hearing, the committee will develop its recommendations concerning the S&A Fee level and allocation of S&A Fee revenues. The committee shall make its S&A Fee level and budget recommendation accessible to the campus community via its website. Not less than one week later, the committee will hold at least one public hearing to present its +recommendations to the campus community. The purpose of this hearing is to provide an opportunity to receive testimony on the committee’s recommendations before they are finalized. The committee shall review testimony and change its proposal if the suggested changes are supported by the committee.


S&A Fee Committee Budget Recommendations

The S&A Fee Committee shall submit its budget proposal and program priorities to the Vice President for Enrollment and Student Services with supporting documents by the end of the third week of May for administrative review and response. These recommendations will include a proposed S&A Fee level for the upcoming year and recommendations for the allocation of academic year and summer S&A Fee revenues to the constituent areas. The committee may submit other recommendations related to the S&A Fee at this time.


Administrative Response/Disputes

The Vice President for Enrollment and Student Services, on behalf of the university administration, shall provide a timely written response to the S&A Fee Committee, acknowledging receipt of their recommendations and, if applicable, outlining any concerns or differences with the University’s proposed budgets. . Administrative representatives and the committee will meet in a good faith effort to resolve any disputes prior to submittal of the final recommendations to the Board of Trustees. Further disputes will follow the resolution process outlined in RCW 28B.15.045.


Board of Trustees Presentation

The S&A Fee Committee will submit its final proposal to Board of Trustees and the University administration via the Vice President for Enrollment and Student Services, who will present the committee’s recommendation along with any administrative concerns to the Board of Trustees. The committee chair will ensure that committee members are informed of the date and time for the presentation of the committee’s recommendations, and ensure that student representatives are informed of their ability to directly address the Board regarding the recommendation. Before adoption of the final S&A Fee budget and program priorities, the Board of Trustees shall address any areas of differences between the administration’s and S&A Fee Committee’s proposals.


Final Budget Reconciliation

Following the final approval of the S&A Fee level and allocations by the Board of Trustees and prior to September 1st, the funded areas will submit a final budget to the S&A Committee. All areas will highlight any significant chances from the original budget requests that were presented to the committee and a narrative supporting those changes. This information will be available to the campus community and posted on the committee’s website.


Monetary Shifts of Allocated Funds and Right to Delegate

With the exception of any funds needed for bond covenant agreements or other contractual obligations, once the budgets for existing services and activities are approved by the Board of Trustees, the administration may not shift funds from the amounts budgeted for the constituent areas unless it has provided written justification to the S&A Fee Committee and the Board of Trustees, and the Board has given its express approval.

The Board of Trustees reserves the right to delegate portions of its authority while meeting the intent of the RCW. Such delegation would be approved in writing, otherwise any transfers of funds follow the process outlines in the RCW.