The Student Fees Advisory Committee continued its four-day long session Wednesday to discuss various campus groups’ budget requests.
The University Center Transformation Project presented their plans of a newly built and renovated facility to the SFAC committee at Wednesday’s meeting in the UC. | Jario Razo/The Daily Cougar
The Wednesday meeting followed the previous day’s trend — showing that most organizations and departments asked for more money than last year, with the exception of two.
Frontier Fiesta is a student-run, student-led festival hosted by the University to promote the scholarship, community and education of UH students, faculty, staff and the Houston community, as stated on its website.
The organization asked for $163,194.
According to its presentation, the most consistent area in funding is the Frontier Fiesta Committeemen program, which encourages prominent alumni and community members to sponsor the event through small donations.
“We’re working hard and we definitely want to provide the caliber of what the event should be, and for the whole University to participate,” Director of Productions Joseph Boudreaux said. “We’re definitely passionate.”
The Academic Achievers asked for $62,923. The group receives other funding through alumni and fundraising.
“The center has to work with the very little money we get from the school and make it last,” program manager Rebeca Trevino said. “Our sole fundraising event last year was not very good, but this year it was a lot better.”
The Athletics department asked for $4.41 million.
According to the presentation, the challenging economy and “the John and Rebecca Moores Endowment are likely not to give way proceeds for the third straight year. The $2,308,000 in operating revenue provided by this endowment reflects an enormous challenge for athletics to balance an increased revenue generation.”
The University Center Transformation Project did not ask for additional money but presented a brief on raising the UC student service fee, which has already been implemented in the Fall 2010 semester.
The funding will go toward the facility’s new amenities, including enhanced dining options, updated technology, shaded outdoor lounge spaces and more.
“The two leaders behind the UC transformation project were looking for something a little bit more modern,” co-chair of the UC2010 Project Micah Kenfield said.
The group plans to receive additional funding by increasing the UC student fee from $25 to $110 per semester in Fall 2012, and even more every year until 2014.
“We were able to stretch the UC student fee even further and really do more for potentially less,” Kenfield said. “So students can get their money’s worth.”
Additional reporting provided by Ashley Anderson and Cristi Guerra.
