Services and Activities Fee Allocation Board

What is the S&A Board?

The Evergreen Services and Activities Fee Allocation Board is a group of nine students hired during fall term to distribute approximately $2.5 million dollars of student fees collected annually. In addition to the nine voting students they board also hires two non-voting members, a Coordinator & Office Manager, to help facilitate. While most colleges have some kind of funding Board, most are composed of administrators and faculty as well as students. Here at Evergreen, students are truly in charge of S&A fees. At Evergreen the Student Activities Office helps advise the S&A Board.

The Board is responsible for proposing to the Board of Trustees program priorities and recommended allocation levels for college organizations funded by S&A Fees. These are the types of college areas that currently receive S&A Fees:

1. Tier I: Campus Children's Center, Recreation & Athletics, the Cooper Point Journal, KAOS-FM Community Radio, Student Activities Administration, and Office of Sexual Assault Prevention. These fee-funded agencies are managed by permanent professional staff, and have their budgets reviewed biennially.
2. Tier II: Registered Student Organizations (RSOs). Tier II budgets are reviewed annually during Spring Quarter for the following Academic Year.
3. Off-Campus Programs: Tacoma Program, and Reservation Based Program. These programs are delegated authority from the S&A Board to distribute funds locally at their programs.
4. Student Initiatives: College Bus Pass Program, Late-Night Shuttle Program, Clean Energy Fees, and Student Run Cafe Fees are part of S&A Fees and are collected and distributed to fund those specific programs.
5. Emergency Student Loan Program: Students pay a portion of the S&A Fees to support the colleges Emergency Student Loan Program.
6. Reserve and Debt-Service accounts are maintained by the Board for insurance, emergencies, long-term planning and project management.

S&A Board meetings are generally open to the public. They are normally held in the Solarium inside CAB 320 on Mondays and Wednesdays during college-recognized governance hours.

Student groups have the opportunity to apply for funding throughout the year to put on special events for the community. During spring quarter, these groups also prepare operational budget requests for the upcoming year.

The S&A Board meets twice weekly throughout fall, winter, and spring quarters to address the needs and wants of the students as the year goes on. Each Board member is responsible for communicating with several student groups and helping them prepare their budget requests.

The Board deliberates on all requests, and makes its decisions by consensus. Ideally, each Board member agrees with each decision made. Serving on the Board, therefore, involves a lot of power, and a lot of responsibility. Since each Board member has the ability to block consensus and stop a decision from being made, the Board works hard to come up with ideas that everyone supports. This ensures that the Board makes responsible decisions with all of our money.

Board 

Board Selection

Board members are selected annually. All currently enrolled, full-fee paying students are eligible to serve on the Board. Selection of the new Board is conducted during fall quarter. The selection committee is composed of former Board members who are still currently enrolled and members of the Geoduck Union. The incoming Board coordinator is responsible for overseeing the recruitment and selection process. Students chosen to serve on the Board are provided with orientation and training prior to serving their one year commitment. Board members cannot serve consecutive years as a voting member.

Board Coordinator selection takes place during the spring quarter prior to the academic year in which they serve. Currently enrolled, full-fee paying students are eligible to apply. Selection of the new Board coordinator is the responsibility of the current Board members and members of the Geoduck Union. Once selected, the new S&A Board Coordinator is responsible for facilitating each phase of the process prior to her/his official term of office. The Board Coordinator is also responsible for hiring an office manager.

Coordinator Responsibilities

1. Recruit and train board members and an office manager.
2. Provide information for the Board members.
3. Prepare meeting agendas and other necessary materials.
4. Facilitate S & A Board meetings.
5. Disseminate information concerning the Board's actions.
6. Act as a liaison with campus offices and committees.
7. Recruit, hire and train the next S & A Board Coordinator.
8. With the incoming board coordinator, recruit, hire, and train the next S & A Board Office Manager.
9. Submit the S & A Board developed budget for administrative review and approval by the Board of Trustees.

Liason Responsibilities

Become familiar with the assigned group's mission statement and goals.

1. Improve the board's knowledge of particular plans, report on the organizations, and clarify questions.
2. Explain budget forms to group coordinators. (This implies that liaisons understand the forms well enough to clarify them to the coordinators.)
3. Point out possible pitfalls in writing budgets.
4. Clarify questions about budget requests.
5. Meet with respective coordinators during their regular office hours, and attend at least one of the groups events.
6. Serve on the hiring committee for the respective group.

Member Responsibilities

1. Attending Monday and Wednesday meetings, arriving promptly and prepared for the meeting.
2. Attend a mandatory weekend training retreat.
3. Active participation in the deliberations of S & A Board Meetings and its various subcommittees.
4. Engage in constructive dialogue on any issues being considered.
5. Act as a liaison to assigned Tier I and Tier II groups.

Office Manager

1. Record, type, and post minutes. Submit a copy to all Board Members, post on bulletin board and revise when needed.
2. Prepare materials for the S & A Board members in a timely fashion.
3. Provide written or telephone confirmation of all appointments with the board, i.e. special initiative requests, Tier I and Tier II budget request hearings, etc.
4. Maintain regular office hours at the S & A Workstation.
5. Check the mail and voice mail messages each day.
6. Type agendas and keep bulletin board updated.
7. Make sure all equipment (i.e. Dictaphone, cassette tapes, etc.) is working and all materials that are needed for S & A Board meetings are ready before the meeting begins.

Definition of Services & Activities Fees

Services and activities fees are defined in RCW 28B.15.041 to mean "fees, other than tuition fees, charged 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."

RCW 28B.10.300 authorizes the expenditure of services and activities fees for the acquisition, construction, equipping and betterment of lands, buildings and facilities.

RCW 28B.10.825 allows for the allocation of one dollar per student, per quarter, towards an institutional loan fund. Evergreen participates in this program.

RCW 28B.15.069: Services & Acitivities Fees are limited to the same percentage increase as tuition.

Services and Activities Fee expenditures for programs devoted to political and religious philosophies will result in the presentation of a broad spectrum of ideas pursuant to RCW 28B.15.044.