Students might see an on-campus complex devoted to leisure swimming and club sports if the Department of Campus Recreation is granted its student fee request for fiscal year 2009. If approved by the Student Fees Advisory Committee, the increase could take effect in September.
Campus Recreation Interim Director Reginald Riley requested a one-time allocation of $100,000 for fiscal year 2009 to add to the department’s base student-fee funding of $494,973.
"We are just stewards of your campus’ recreation facilities, and our job is to get as many programs to accommodate as we can," he said. "The campus is growing, so we must grow with it."
The money requested – which came on the third day of SFAC hearings for fiscal year 2009 – would subsidize the construction of a support building for the Campus Recreation and Wellness Center, featuring a leisure pool, club field, outdoor showers, concession areas and additional lockers, Riley said."Last year, this was a dream, (but) it has become reality," he said.
Spirit of Houston Cougar Marching Band Director David Bertman requested $80,000 be added starting in fiscal year 2009 to the band’s base funding of $171,400 in student-service fees.
If approved, the band’s funding would increase 46 percent.
"I’ve always tried to keep in mind what I feel is really a legitimate request of SFAC," Bertman said. "When you start adding the travel of each child – we are starting to incur a lot of expenses."
If approved, $60,000 of the fees would be allotted toward funding travel for band, cheer and dance members, and $20,000 would be devoted to operational expenses, Bertman said.
"(Cheerleading) is a very, very public way to say, ‘Here is the University of Houston,’" Bertman said.
Academic Achievers Program Director Rebecca Trevino requested a student-service fee funding increase of $11,742 starting in fiscal year 2009 to the organization’s base student fee funding of $51,181 to compensate a full-time assistant.
If approved, AAP’s student-fee funding would increase about 23 percent for fiscal year 2009. In fiscal year 2008 AAP used a one-time allocation of $10,656 to pay for the position.
The AAP, which falls under the Center for Mexican American Studies, provides $2,500 scholarships to Hispanic students who are the first in their families to attend college, according to its report to SFAC.
"Academic Achievers Program students are continuing to graduate at higher rates than non-AAP students," Trevino said. "Our students have a higher retention rate, grade-point average and graduation rate than those not in the program."
The Student Video Network and the Activities Funding Board did not request any changes in their budgets from fiscal year 2008.
SFAC will deliberate on student-service-fee budget requests and forward its recommendations to UH President Renu Khator.
Her recommendations will be sent to the UH System Board of Regents for final amending and approval.
The final SFAC hearings will run from 8:45 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Wednesday in the Bluebonnet Room of the University Center. Meetings are open to the public, and students can publicly comment before SFAC on how fees are utilized at 11:45 a.m. Wednesday.
With additional reporting by Daily Cougars News staff
