The AS Board poses on Friday, Sept. 27. Joe Addison // AS Review
By Stella Harvey
AS 2021 Fiscal Year Budget
At their meeting on May 27, the Associated Students Executive Board passed the AS Fiscal Year 2021 Budget with a vote of six in favor and zero against or abstaining. AS Business Director Nate Jo discussed the need to plan for a 5-10% decrease in enrollment in the fall, per the university’s request. Depending on how much enrollment decreases, the deficit could range anywhere from $41,376 to $339,787.
During their meeting on May 26, the AS Student Senate passed the budget with a ranked list of recommendations on how to reduce the deficit if enrollment drops in the fall. The board also voted in support of these recommendations.
The board and senate recommended moving funds previously allocated to programs that may be canceled due to COVID-19 back to the AS general budget and to implement a temporary freeze on the AS wage policy. The AS wage policy determines how much each student employee increases every year. If the AS were to freeze the policy, the highest-paid AS employees would not receive a raise, but no wages would be cut.
The board and senate also recommended only using a portion of the AS operating reserve if all other measures to reduce the deficit are inadequate.
Since the delay of fall registration, the AS will not know how much enrollment and funding has dropped until sometime over the summer.
Official Guidance
Hunter Stuehm, AS communication director, presented a new document outlining the AS Communications Office official guidance on how to create resolutions within the board and senate. The guide includes a sample resolution, guidelines on when different kinds of resolutions are appropriate and background on why resolutions are used by AS governing bodies.
Stuehm said the senate and board do not need to vote on the document, but he would like to see future senate and board members use the guide in the future.