DRAC Minutes 11/25/14
Attendance: Steve Woods – Forensic, Samuel Panek – International Affairs Association Robin Sizemore – Planet, Student Publications, John Harris – Student Publications Council (Journalism), Erin Emry-Theatre and Dance, Quy Ton -Theatre and Dance, Beth Leonard – Theatre and Dance, Giselle Alcantar Soto – Associated Student VP for Activities, Molly Hartshorn – Music, Jim DeWilde – Enrollment and Student Services, Ted Sealey – DRAC Budget and Support
Absent: S. Woods-Forensics, C. Bianco-Music, B. Biswas, Political Science, C. Roberts, Student At-Large, M. Hartshorn, Music.
Sam started the meeting at 9:05 as the newly elected Chair. Quy took the minutes as Heather was absent.
We went over the S+A guidelines sent to us by Tina Loudon.
Erin asked about the last paragraph on the first page:
When spending policies are unclear we are asked to “consider relevant sources of guidance, and discuss with appropriate administrators” – Erin thought the document should be specific regarding the relevant sources of guidance are and who the appropriate administrators are. Erin asked what a reasonable reserve to have is because the wording in the guideline is unclear.
Steve asked is S+A calling for a centralized reserve?
Ted said that’s a good question because management has said that what “reserves” means should be defined by the S+A. There are pros and cons to a central reserve. We’ve always had reserve money for DRAC but we’ve always distributed out and instead of keeping it in the reserve. A centralized reserve would give students more control of the money. Students can decide if we don’t give money because a department messed up last year or if someone has a sudden need: people can come forward and ask for it and we can decide. The con is that it will take more time to process those. But I think it’s time that we start putting aside money for one.
Steve: so what should we say to the S+A?
Ted: if we decide to maintain a centralizecentralized DRAC reserve, that’s up to us. AS does its own thing, athletics, and campus ree also. I think it’s time to do a centralized reserve and actually fund it, $100,000 or $200,000 seems appropriate. But it’s not contingent on S+A. We just have to make sure that everyone in DRAC wants to do that. I think this is a good idea to bring it up to the S+A Fee Committee.
Steve V.: the audit seems to suggest that the S+A needs to set these guidelines
Ted: yes, that the standard needs to be the same for everyone at the S&A level. Steve V.: and it says that if AS has $1 million, they need to state that.
Ted: I would make a strong suggestion that budget templates used are made as simple as possible and that everyone uses the same template.
Erin: who would you suggest that to?
Ted: well, this committee can make a suggestion to S&A and they would discuss it at that level so if some students or someone else from DRAC wants to get together to suggest added wording to the guidelines that would provide direction.
M. Broyles: can you just have a sheet of all the numbers that’s the same instead of changing your presentation?
Ted: what has to be presented is already agreed upon, but having one template helps new S&A members and new students follow the process. There are supporting materials that are important as well.
Erin: regarding the other bullets on the guidelines sheet the wording is inconsistent. The document references both support for university employees and salaries for professional employees – the wording should be consistent.
Under impermissible expenditures it seems that the third bullet is written for the AS when they bring in famous artists/bands. Theatre and dance brings in guests all the time and we usually offer an honorarium to defray the guest’s costs, rather than giving them a large profit for speaking to our students. Usually the guests do not live in Bellingham, so we pay for accommodations at the government rate.
Ted: do you have a suggested wording for that?
Erin: I suggest this wording which is more specific “Guest entertainers and speakers who are receiving an appearance fee above and beyond honorarium limits should not receive meals, lodging and receptions, unless required by contract”
Giselle Alcantar Soto: but what you’re saying is in the bullet
Erin: The original wording of the bullet just makes it uncomfortable. The suggestion I gave doesn’t take it away from it, but is more specific.
Ted: we can suggest what I’ve said about the template and what Erin said for the suggested wording. I think that’s a good idea. The S&A Fee Committee can decide what they feel is appropriate.
Steve: we can send that wording around? Is it impermissible because S&A doesn’t like it or if it’s against the law?
Ted: I think those guidelines were taken from February 2010. I think it was just really old guidelines.
Erin: If it was a simple cut and paste, I’m wondering why it’s necessary.
S. Panek: so what do we do?
Ted: I can accumulate stuff to send to everyone.
S. Panek: general suggestion, show old and new wording
Steve: Ted and I are going to meet up with each of the budgeting people because there are some things that came up in the audit. We have to propose these budgets so far ahead. They flag expenditures that are over 20% of what was budgeted.
S. Panke: the key is to make sure that student oversight is in all of that?
Steve: exactly.
Ted: read from draft guidelines final page
“following final approval and September first, members will submit a…”
Erin: We have started a DRAC student advisory group made up of 2 dance and 4 theatre students. This is also a chance to allow your students to become familiar with how DRAC works
Steve: the advantage of that is if something happens midway, you can take care of that quickly.
Ted: the advantage of that is the budget template I sent out last year makes budget estimates more flexible.
S. Panek: so do we have a formalized subcommittee group
M. Broyles: I don’t’ think we need to formalize it
Steve: well, what about having writing about if a change is needed over 15% for something major?
M. Broyles: is that up the each constituency to get their group together? Chair: Yes.
M. Broyles: and then big decisions would come up to DRAC
End on the note of getting the information we send Everyone send Ted an email