The Student Fee Recommendation Committee is currently reviewing budget support requests from on-campus organizations and must divvy up funding between them over the next few weeks.

Many Weber State University organizations receive all or part of their funding through student fees. Each year, organizations and departments can request increases in their yearly budgets financed by student fees, or make a one-time request for the upcoming fiscal year only.

For the 2013-14 fiscal year, the SFRC must allocate $210,000 of students’ fees to different on-campus entities that requested continued or additional student fee funding.

Among the organizations that requested funding, Intercollegiate Athletics asked for a base budget increase of $19,000 and to keep base funding it received this year but ended up not having to use. For the fiscal year of 2012-13, Athletics received an additional increase of $30,000 to fund scholarships based on the NCAA Board of Directors’ approval of an increase of $2,000 or the full cost of attendance for student-athlete scholarships. The NCAA has not decided upon this issue yet, so Athletics requested to use the increase it received last year to fund cost increases associated with NCAA and Big Sky Conference changes that occurred this year.

Athletics requested an increase of $16,000 to fund an hourly academic assistant to aid student-athletes in meeting the NCAA Academic Enhancement changes. Athletics also requested $3,000 in reflection of the NCAA’s decision to increase the allowance an institution provides to host prospect student athletes on official visits.

In light of the gym expansions currently under way, Campus Recreation requested an increase of $199,728 to fund the addition of 30 hourly staff positions, with a one-time request of $3,000 for startup race equipment.

The Community Involvement Center made its first request for student fee funding, asking for $46,000 for a position currently funded by a grant that will expire this summer, a volunteer-hours tracking system and a copy machine rental.

The WSU Department of Visual Arts and the Shaw Gallery requested a first-time student fee base funding of $50,600 to create a film and lecture series during the 2013-14 fiscal year. The series would include six lectures and four film screenings each academic year, bringing national and international speakers, scholars, and film directors to campus.

KWCR Weber FM requested a one-time amount of $35,000 to help get the radio transmitter and antenna back to campus and replace parts after moving to a temporary location in Roy when the university tore down Promontory Tower last year.

The Sustainability Fund, which received its first student funding as a one-time fee of $9,000 for the 2012-13 fiscal year, requested a base funding of $30,000. Its request would fund two student positions, additional sustainability projects and conference travel.

Student Involvement and Leadership requested an increase of $40,431 to fund StrengthsQuest development, graphic artists positions, increased attendance at service events, requests for more programming from the Center of Diversity and Unity, support for student government at the Davis campus, and a one-time $4,000 funding for the new office startup equipment at Davis.

Open Student Computer Labs requested an increase of $29,924 to replace more than 100 computers at the Davis Information Commons Lab, printers, and to fund student workers and buy new computers for a laptop checkout lounge at the new Davis campus building.

Other organizations that requested an increase in student fee funding are the debate team, The Signpost, the Women’s Center, Studio 76, Undergraduate Research, UTA Ed Pass, the Shepherd Union Building, the Davis Learning Center, Davis Services, USA Today/WSU Student Association Readership Program, the Counseling and Psychological Services Center, Services for Students with Disabilities, the Student Health Center, and Veterans Services.

Organizations that asked for the same amount of student fee funding they received for the current fiscal year are the Multicultural Student Center, the Nontraditional Student Center, the Hourly Child Care Center, the Intercollegiate Ethics Bowl, Metaphor, Mock Trial and the Customer Service Center.

Each member of the SFRC will deliberate on Friday and Feb. 8 to agree upon allocation of the $210,000 in student fees. After making its recommendations, the committee will then send its decision to the Utah Board of Regents for final approval.

An itemized breakdown of each organization’s request is available on The Signpost’s website.