Fee Transparency Project

Present: Andy, Diana, Gabrielle, Jhertau, Lisa, Marshall, Mel, Shirley, Ayeza, Lucy, Lydia

Guests:, Dani, Francesca, Kyle,

Welcome and Introductions
1. Members introductions: Name, Pronouns, Year, Major, and Space.
2. Order: Cowell, Stevenson, Crown, Merrill, Kresge, Porter, Oakes, RCC, C9, JRL, GSA, GSC, SAB, Provost, Jade, Lisa, Lydia, Lucy
3. Note: quorum not met
Approval of Agenda & Minutes
1. Marshall motions to approve, Mel seconds. Motion passe
Announcements & Updates:
1. Referenda Presentations
2. Participation survey for next year
  1. Please fill out! Lucy shared earlier this week.
3. Other announcements
Presentations from referendum authors today
1. CSF Standing Policy on Fee Referendum
2. SCHEDULE
3. SUGB: Kyle Vergara, Vice Chair of SUGB
  1. 4/28 - FY24 TAPS Referendum Budget.xlsx
  2. SEATS Proposed Fee Measure Amendment - Administrative.docx
  3. Language has changed in the past week since receiving feedback from UCOP. Measure would provide a student oversight board, with student approval. PACAOS 120, student participation in governance. Want accountability from TAPS and that they show up, consult with students, work with students in creating proposals, and town halls/open forums.
  4. Marshall asks how this fee measure will impact SFAC’s review of TAPS. Would this exist alongside SFAC’s review? Kyle says it would coexist. Not meant to override, but ACCTP would do more. Would create more consultation with TAPS specifically. This would affect specific policy implementation and plans in the department.
  5. Jhertau asks if they’ve had the consultation with TAPS? Yes, but SUGB hasn’t gotten any follow up yet.
    1. Jhertau asks Lucy if SUGB will need to come back with the final language? Lucy says that is up to the committee to decide.
  6. Lisa says that previous iterations of the language said that VEST could sunset the fee in 2026, but SFAC has recommendation power per the current language. Is this kept in the referenda? Kyle says that has been removed, as the transparency and accountability piece was the priority. Interpretation and precedence that has been set before has shown that not many students know what SFAC’s purview does.
    1. Lisa says that the language needs to be very clear who makes the decisions.
4. GSC: Dani Klawitter, Francesca Pavlovici, Logan Barsigian, Rachel Neuman
  1. GSC is a grad student run organization meant to serve grad students, have a physical location on campus for gathering, programming. Have a governing board. Fees have not changed since they were implemented. One fee set to sunset in 2027, leaving $16 permanent fee. Fee amendment to increase every year according to inflation rate.
  2. Andy asks when it would sunset? 15 years, 2041.
  3. Jhertau asks how many people came to the town halls? Dani says 6 or 7 students attended two town halls.
  4. Dani says that GSC is operating in a deficit, without a new fee the future operations would be uncertain.
  5. Logan shares that students were surveyed earlier in the year and received 132 responses, majority in favor of the fee. Amount/number has changed since that survey.
5. Right Livelihood: Skyla Tomine, Fatima Hernandez, John Matter, Mila Bekele
  1. Right Livelihood Center at UCSC aims to bridge academia and activism. In the past have hosted workshops, online and in person laureates, teach ins.
  2. See a gap in opportunities for students to implement changes in communities. Requesting 3.89/quarter.
  3. Jhertau asks how many students attended conference last week? 1000, mostly undergraduate students.
  4. Marshall asks who the audience is? It’s open to undergrads, graduate students, and members of the community.
  5. Right Livelihood Center started 10 years, club was started by undergraduate students.
    1. Classes are mostly for undergraduate students and affiliated with the club. Some conferences are open to the public, have grad students involved with the center.
  6. Jhertau asks how global secretariat role was awarded to UCSC? Dave says the award has been around since 1980, it was a way to engage students more.
  7. Dave clarifies that no academic activities would be funded through this fee.
  8. Andy notes there is no sunset date.
    1. Dave says they chose not to incorporate that.
    2. Andy responds that it’s a way for students to re-engage with fees in future years.
  9. John says that the previously funded programs through SFAC that the global network of universities is a valuable experience for students.
6. Theater Arts: Sabrina Fogel
  1. M11 was established in 2003 for theater arts productions, provides 1 free ticket per student per show. Hoping to return to 10+ productions per year. 2020 affected theater industry, many production costs rose. Students responded affirmatively to opinion poll last year.
  2. Return to aid, then next biggest fund is student employees. Rights for larger name shows are more expensive.
  3. Fee could increase production, allow for student employee stipends, take away venue fees for SOAR orgs.
Discussion
1. SUGB:
  1. Mel shares that she’s seen this referendum through SUA already. Has large support behind student body. Personally in favor of it.
  2. Marshall says that they addressed his questions on it, it’s good to have advisory bodies.
  3. Jhertau is concerned on the UCOP level if it would pass with the new changes. Would like to see final language. Mel agrees.
2. GSC facilities fee:
  1. Mel asks when the last time a graduate fee passed?
  2. Lisa says that the first $16 was a regents fee from 1965. Second fee was enacted in 2000 when building opened.
    1. Iveta revenue is not enough to cover facility deficit.
  3. Mel is in favor of this referendum. Jhertau agrees, it’s overdue.
  4. Marshall notes that they do need the money, there are clearly facility issues.
3. Right Livelihood Fee:
  1. Andy says it might be hard to predict in future what the campus climate will look like.
    1. Jhertau notes that it is a growing conversation in CSF to have sunset dates, on other campuses it can lead to problems with amending.
  2. Marshall says it’s still unclear who can participate in the events that the fee supports.
  3. Jhertau felt she left with more questions.
4. Theater Arts:
  1. Mel asks if the Media Arts fee is different from Media fee? Yes.
  2. Andy liked it, and that it allows for more productions.
Other Business
1. Meeting Timeline (captures our goals for each meeting and prospective topics for meetings)
2. Member Notes (any members who will be absent from a meeting may add topics for discussion, questions, feedback for items on the agenda, etc. in this running document).
Adjournment
1. Jhertau will start drafting language.
2. Jhertau suggests to adjourn, Mel seconds. Motion passes.

Upcoming Guests/Topics:.

Presentation on Okanagan Charter (health promoting campus initiative) - Spring Quarter with Director of SHOP, Meg Kobe
Auditing:
1. Student Media Voice Fee
2. Student Life Facilities Fee