Student Activity and Service Fee Budgetary Guidelines - Procedure 3.0500

Purpose:

Activities sponsored by the Florida Community College Activities Association (FCCAA) and other extracurricular/co-curricular activities and student services providing a direct benefit to students are deemed appropriate for funding from Student Activity and Service fee dollars. The purpose of this procedure is to ensure that such fees are used in a manner consistent with current statute and rule and Board policy.

Procedure:

1. Student Activity and Service Fee Budget Committee
   
   
   1. The Budget Committee is appointed by the Vice President for Student Success Services and is comprised of both students and staff members, with students comprising at least half of the committee membership. Suggested composition of the committee follows:
      
      
      1. The SGA President and SGA Vice President from each campus
      2. Director of Student Life
      3. Representative from the Business Office
      4. Vice President for Student Success Services
      5. Additional SGA members from each campus
   2. Student members are comprised of members of the SGA Executive Board and active members of the SGA. The committee should elect co-chairs, one student and one staff member with the student chair as the tie-breaking vote.
2. Requisition of Student Activity and Service Fee Funds
   
   
   1. The Director of Student Life will create and distribute a Notice of Requisition to all interested student organizations and department heads. The deadline for requests should be no less than thirty (30) days from the first date of announcement. The recommended first date of announcement is April 1st.
   2. All student activity and service fee requests must be submitted by May 1st with a detailed, itemized list of needs and costs.
   3. As the budget allocation process begins, the committee should develop guidelines to evaluate how all events, programs, and services funded through the Student Activity Budget supports the needs of students. Events should be free of charge whenever possible to allow broad participation.
3. Budgetary Process
   
   
   1. The budget for expenditures funded from the student activity and service fee shall be based upon an estimate of total funds generated from this fee as well as an estimate of funds carried forward from the prior year. The appropriate financial representative of the Business Office should provide the committee chairman with the anticipated student activities budget for the next fiscal year by May 1st.
   2. The committee meets as necessary to review college-wide budget requests balancing revenue against requests, creates an operating budget for the next fiscal year and recommends the allocations of the college-wide student activity and services budget. The committee should determine the appropriate balance between student activities and student services funded by the budget.
   3. Following committee approval, the Committee Chairman forwards the recommendations to the College President for approval. The President has the option of approving, not approving, or returning items to the committee for further review.
   4. The budget shall be completed, finalized, and approved by May 15th. Thereafter, the Budget Committee shall meet as needed to review the budget and process any amendments or late requests.
   5. Recommended distribution of budgeted dollars is based on the percentage of unduplicated college credit headcount at each campus in the preceding fiscal year, with appropriate consideration for district-wide student activities.
   6. Each fiscal year, 5% of the total student activity and service fee budget will be allocated for indirect administrative support costs.
   7. Each fiscal year, 5% of the total student activity and service fee budget will be set aside in a reserve account in case the actual budget revenue does not equal the projected budget revenue, causing a revenue shortfall. Once the actual student activity and service fee revenue amount can be determined based on fall and spring semester enrollments, any available funds in the reserve account may be allocated during the spring or summer semesters or carried forward to the next fiscal year.
   8. If college-wide carryover/rollover dollars from the previous year are available, the committee will meet during the academic year to recommend how those funds are reallocated. The Business Office shall submit a report to the committee detailing the status of said dollars by May 1st. Recommendation of budget for expenditure of carryover/rollover dollars is also the responsibility of the committee.
   9. Any allocation restrictions are determined by the budgetary committee and approved by the College President in accordance with Florida statute.
   10. Since a budget cannot anticipate every contingency, the committee should meet in person to develop a plan to address new needs or emergency situations requiring an immediate decision.
   11. It is the responsibility of the College to ensure that the committee receives appropriate training and assistance to ensure that restricted Student Activity and Service fees are utilized in a manner consistent with current state statute and rule and local Board policy.
   12. Rules regarding the Budgetary Committee process should utilize a standard meeting format.
4. Clubs and Organizations
   
   Eligible organizations are determined at the institutional level but shall be open to all students and benefit the student population as a whole. Any club or organization receiving funds from the Student activity and Service fee shall implement standard accounting practices and prepare an annual fiscal report to be forwarded to the Budget Committee and the President or appropriate financial representative.

Did you know?

Students can earn an Associate in Arts (A.A.), Associate in Science (A.S.) degree or technical certificate at SCC.