Campus Quality Fee Fee Allocation & Accountability Process

Fee Allocation & Accountability Process

COURSE FEES:

By July 1, 2008, the Budget Office and Solar Financials must make the requisite changes in the SOLAR catalogue, web sites, and student billing. A process will be in place for refunding fees for the few students who enrolled for fall, 2008, before the changes were made in the enrollment scripts.

Course Materials

In 2008-09, as in subsequent years, Academic Affairs will concentrate on using the Campus Quality course fee allocation to support programs that already had fees.
Requests from departments that do not have such fees but now want to get equivalent support will be reviewed in the annual budget process.
By mid-August, the Budget Office will project the funds available for the year. Projections are refined once more shortly after fall census.
By the end of fall, the Provost will consult with Educational Resource Committee (ERC) and University Planning and Budget Group (UPBG) about these requests; when their feedback is integrated into plans, the Provost will return for a second review in early spring term.
The Budget Office then will assemble materials into proper form for report to the UPBG, Student Fee Advisory Committee (SFAC), and ultimately the President.
Each cycle must end with a report of how the allocated funds were spent during the immediately preceding terms. This report becomes the basis-rationale, balances, etc.-for explaining the purposes of the expenditures in the year ahead. (per Executive Order 1034)

Re-Purposed Funds ("Freed Funds")

For 2008-09, Academic Resources will determine the amount of funds within the division that is "freed" because of the allocation from the Campus Quality course fee for course materials (estimated currently as equivalent to salary for fifty course sections.)
The Provost will use the "freed" funds, this year and subsequently, as an augmentation to the course schedule.
At the end of the year, Academic Affairs will report to the ERC, UPBG, and SFAC on the effects of this re-purposing.

TECHNOLOGY:

Consultation will occur with appropriate standing technology support committees as well as representative bodies recommended by Associated Students.

Consultation for 2008-2009 will occur during September 2008.
Consultation for subsequent years will occur during February/March prior to the year of expenditure.

Opportunities and needs identified in the consultations will be synthesized into a survey.

Survey items will take into account CSU initiatives to insure that fee-based plans complement but do not duplicate system expenditures on system initiatives.
Survey will be administered to a representative sample of students in October for 2008-2009 and subsequently in April prior to the year of expenditure.

The Vice Presidents will review the results of the survey and consult with the SFAC and the UPBG prior to recommending specific allocations to the President. Final decision making authority for technology allocations resides with the President.

To occur prior to December for 2008-2009 and subsequently before the end of spring semester prior to the year of expenditure.
Criteria will favor a wide effect over students while holding to a minimum the amount that is allocated permanently in a year.

Typically, the cycle for funding will be the following. By mid-August, the Budget Office will project the funds available for the upcoming year. These projections, of course, refine earlier assumptions made in target-setting the previous year. Projections are refined once more shortly after fall census.

A report of how the allocated funds were spent during the immediately preceding terms will be submitted to the SFAC.

This report becomes part of the basis-rationale, balances, etc.-for explaining the purposes of the expenditures in the year ahead. It complements the survey.

STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES:

Consultation will occur with student support units (e.g., Student Affairs Management Council, Student Service Center Directors), academic administrators (e.g., Provost Council, Associate Deans) as well as representative bodies recommended by Associated Students.

Consultation for 2008-2009 will occur during September 2008.
Consultation for subsequent years will occur during February/March prior to the year of expenditure.

Funding opportunities and needs identified through the consultations will be synthesized into a survey.

Surveys will be administered to a representative sample of students in October for 2008-2009 and subsequently in April prior to the year of expenditure

To occur prior to December for 2008-2009 and subsequently before the end of spring semester prior to the year of expenditure.
Criteria will favor a wide effect over students while holding to a minimum the amount that is allocated permanently in a year.

A report of how the allocated funds were spent during the immediately preceding terms will be submitted to the SFAC.

This report becomes part of the basis-rationale, balances, etc.-for explaining the purposes of the expenditures in the year ahead. It complements the survey.

IRA-TYPE SUPPORT (2008-2009 only):

The Campus Quality Fee indirectly bolsters funds that are available for distribution to activities related to courses for 2008-2009 academic year.

The President will indicate to the IRA board whether additional funds are available, as well as specific objectives within the IRA framework that must be achieved.
Review and distribution then will ensue for distribution as soon as possible.

IRA FUNDING (tentative beginning in 2009-2010):

The availability of additional funds for IRA is dependent upon the redirection of the athletic fees administered by A.S.
If additional funds are allocated for IRA funding, they will be added to IRA Fund allocated by the IRA Board. IRA fund allocations are determined by the IRA Board.
The end-of-year report will be submitted by the IRA Board to UPBG and SFAC for review, comment, and accountability.

ATHLETIC OPERATING FUNDS, FACILITIES, AND EQUIPMENT:

This disbursement begins in 2010-11. Thus, planning must begin in fall, 2009. This cycle then recurs each year.
Beginning in fall and refining through the rest of the year, the Budget Office prepares projections of available funds.
Each year in fall, the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics reviews priorities and expenditures in the previous year.

The Vice President for Administration & Finance consults with Intercollegiate Athletics on priorities.

The department assembles their expenditures and recommends them to the Vice President for Administration and Finance in compliance with the university budget process.

The SFAC and UPBG will have opportunities to consult in late fall and spring, before submission to the President within the CSUN planning process. Final decision making authority for Intercollegiate Athletic allocations resides with the President.

6. A report of how the allocated funds were spent during the year will be submitted to the SFAC.

ATHLETIC SCHOLARSHIPS:

The Budget Office prepares projections of available funds.
Vice President for Administration & Finance consults with Director of Intercollegiate Athletics on scholarship priorities.
The Department of Intercollegiate Athletics coordinates the awarding of scholarships with the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships.

Scholarship deadlines are observed for returning athletes.
New student athlete's scholarship allocations are not bound by the regular scholarship deadlines.

The Department of Intercollegiate Athletes will report to the SFAC the aggregate expenditures from the fund for the academic year and an explanation of and plans for fund balances.

STUDENT ALLOCATION FUND, THROUGH 2010-11:

The SFAC will take the lead role in establishing the Student Allocation Committee.

For 2008-09, they will work at quickened pace with the Vice President of Student Affairs to complete recommendations of names by early October so that plans can be solicited and implemented in 2008-09.
For subsequent years, membership review concludes in March.

The Student Allocation committee will be composed of seven student members and an ex officio advisor.

The Vice Presidents will receive and review the names for the President. The President, however, is the appointing authority.
The President appoints the ex officio advisor.

Term of Service is the academic year, eligible for reappointment.

Members must be full-time undergraduate or graduate students in a degree granting program, with a minimum CSUN GPA 2.75 for undergraduates and 3.50 for graduates. They must be available to serve the entire term.

They cannot be a member of the SFAC.

Subject to budget projections by the Budget Office, annual expenditures cannot exceed $250,000; funds must be spent in the fiscal year on one-time needs.

Selection criteria should include scale of impact across numbers of students, alignment with University mission and plans, feasibility within the time frame.

Spending plans will be reviewed by UPBG and the SFAC. To the extent possible, given constraints of time, they will have formative as well as summative input. They will make recommendations to the President. Final decision making authority for implementation of the project resides with the President.

The advisor is responsible for submitting the accountability report on the use of funds.