By JACK ARMSTRONG & CONNER WILLIAMS News Editor & Staff Writer
Proposed changes during the preliminary decision of the Incidental Fee Committee’s (IFC) 2015-2016 budget were met with resistance from students, staff and faculty.
The committee drafted a budget which would maintain the previous year’s operating budget for every funded area except athletics.
If ratified, the suggested budget would reduce athletics’ overall budget 5 percent.
The Incidental Fee Committee is a group of student leaders supervised by staff advisers. The only voting members of the process are the students who sit on the committee.
Incidental fees are collected from students every term and are used for student clubs and activities that fall outside the realm of academics such as student leadership activities, special interest clubs, health and wellness, and athletics.
All of the academic-related expenses (professor salary, administrative expenses, etc.) are covered through tuition.
Speaking on the value of the IFC, Western’s President Mark Weiss stated that all students should have a voice.
“Some students are concerned about raising fees while other students believe it important to fund co-curricular activities at even higher amounts,” Weiss said.
The current year’s incidental fees total $322 per term or $966 per year. If the proposed budget is voted through unchanged, fees for 2015-2016 will increase 3.7 percent to $334 per term or $1,002 per year.
The preliminary budget increases the student fees per term despite the divisive cut to athletics due to an increase in enhancements granted to various funded areas.
Enhancements are one-time increases in funding for clubs to use towards a specific item (e.g., a new computer, travel to a conference, etc.).
After IFC reached an initial decision, the student body was given the opportunity to present their opinions directly to the committee in a series of town-hall style open hearings.
OPEN HEARING BEGINS
Held on Thursday, Feb. 5, the first hearing drew large audiences and raw emotions as students packed the Summit room in the Werner University Center.
Some student groups attended to express their appreciation for the difficult decisions of the IFC.
The Child Development Center presented the committee with crafts the children had made, while the directors discussed the importance of easy access to day care for student with children.
The creative arts department also had multiple representatives express their gratitude from jazz band, theater arts, marching band and drum line.
While praise flowed from many who spoke, the majority of students in attendance were athletes with grievances.
One student presenting on behalf of Western football asked for all the representatives of the athletic department to rise, and nearly threequarters of the room stood.
Student athletes lobbying for Western’s track and field, football, and volleyball teams were met with uproarious cheers and rounds of applause.
Nicole Anderson, a senior track and field athlete, was moved to tears as she said she was “ashamed to be a part of a university that doesn’t support all student endeavors equally.”
Anderson stated that “Western athletes are scraping the bottom. We’re the least funded program in the GNAC.”
David Mcleod, a sophomore track athlete, revealed his intention to leave Western as a result of what he saw as the committee’s “continued lack of support for athletics.”
Mcleod highlighted his lack of opportunity within the team as his main motivation to seek out another school.
“I came to compete, but I didn’t get the chance,” Mcleod said. “The budget definitely limits the amount of athletes who can travel to races. To work and train so hard to not see that work rewarded with races is difficult to swallow.”
Themes of fairness and unrewarded hard work were common in the presentations by athletes.
IFC’s decision had divided the student body, and Chair Quinn Forner was expecting the response. “I wasn’t surprised by the emotion, it is understandable,” he said.
SECOND HEARING BEGINS
The second open hearing, held on Monday, Feb. 9, played host to even more students than the first, and once again the athletics department dominated the attendance sheet.
In addition to more positive feedback from groups like creative arts, Abby’s House, and Stonewall Center, various club sports teams voiced their appreciation for continued funding.
Members of the both the men’s and women’s rugby teams, along with representatives from men’s soccer and men’s lacrosse all highlighted their gratitude for the chance to play.
While the club teams expressed support for their own continued funding, many also pleaded for a reconsideration of the cut to athletics.
Several of the presenting students who were involved in multiple IFC funded areas also stressed the importance of the range of activities currently available, especially as a means to raise Western’s image in the communities where athletics conducts their outreach.
The impact on prospective student recruitment and the impact on the overall community and culture of campus was often cited as the main reasoning behind the cross-club support.
Almost all spoke on unfavorable travel conditions for away matches, uniforms in dire need of replacement, and equipment improvements required for maintaining compliance with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).
The argument against budget cuts had become one of a return on investment for athletes who train daily for the chance to compete and are also expected to maintain academic excellence.
While many of the pleas were similar to those from the first hearing, one student had a message that was different from the rest.
Jenesa Honda, judicial administrator and head of the Associated Students of Western Oregon University Judicial Branch, supported the proposed cut to the athletics fund because of the overall effect on student fees.
“The rest of the departments can’t always take the hit,” Honda said. She added that “each one has some excess fluff that can be trimmed.” Honda specified that athletes and athletics can bring a certain spirit, but that usually only involves those who choose to participate.
“Students sometimes question funding athletics, especially those who aren’t associated with them,” Honda said. “This fee was $277 per term in 2011, and now it is expected to rise to $334 in 2015.”
The difference between these two figures is $171 annually, and that can amount to the cost of all textbooks in a term for some students.
Honda’s opinions are not uncommon among the student body. Juan Esparza, a business administration senior, initially didn’t know that his incidental fees went towards athletics.
“I actually wasn’t aware that I paid for clubs and athletics, and no, I don’t think it is fair,” Esparza said. He said that while he “understood that the school must fund activities, tuition is already a stretch for many.”
Students looking for more explanation of the IFC process or more information on how to become involved for the 2016 academic year can speak to IFC Chair and ASWOU representative Forner.
Forner is available for student feedback at the ASWOU table on the second floor of the Werner Center, across from the bookstore, every Tuesday and Thursday from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.
A meeting for the final deliberations will be held in the Columbia Room of the WUC, Monday, Feb. 16, 5:30 p.m.
Disclaimer: The Journal is funded through Incidental Fees via Student Media.
