This eleven-part series is an in-depth look into the 2007 University of Colorado Student Union budgeting process. Every year, UCSU is charged with distributing more than $30 million in student fees, controlling more money than any other student body in the nation. This series, running over the two-week period that the budgets sit in the hands of the Legislative Council, will explore the process, the people and the effects of the decisions made by your student leaders.
The Community Health Program is fearful of losing three of its most beneficial health programs due to Wardenburg’s budget cuts.
According to Robin Kolble, Manager of the Community Health Education Department, without the Community Health Program, students would lose the Student Wellness Program, the Sexual Health Department and COURAGE.
UCSU Budgets 2007: CP’s 11-day Series
Part 1 | The budgeting process – How it works
Part 2 | Ups and downs – Tracking the past
Part 3 | A hardline approach – Determined council seeking 0 percent
Part 4 | Rec Center – Unscathed, but for how long?
Part 5 | UMC – Between a rock and a hard place
Part 6 | Wardenburg – Struggling to stay afloat
Part 7 | Ghosts of budgets past – Previous mistakes haunt Wardenburg today
Part 8 | A community responds – Students on their health center
Part 9 | Taking the brunt – Advocates in danger of losing their programs
Part 10 | Life changer or money waster? Controversial alcohol program on the block
Part 11 | In the public eye – Bracing for the $30 million dollar decisions
“We believe all three of these programs help the student’s well being,” Kolble said.
The process started with the intention of not raising student fees. Kolble said she submitted a budget for next year, which the Legislative Council had to approve. The Legislative Council understood that Wardenburg needed more money. The Legislative Council therefore proposed that if Wardenburg needed more money, they should cut over $300,000 from the Community Health Department.
This $300,000 would be cutting 60 percent of the Community Health Department’s funding. Kolble said that this cut would really impact the health center as a whole.
“If we aren’t handing out STI (sexually transmitted infection) information, there are going to be more students coming in for STI tests and having unprotected sex,” Kolble said. “We are promoting health on campus, our goal is not to be the after fact, our goal is to prevent it. I would love to see some of these services go out of business because students are healthy on campus.”
Kolble said that without these informational programs, students will be more at risk of getting sick and contracting STIs.
“Ninety-one percent of students are sexually active on this campus,” Kolble said. “We are out there trying to prevent this rash of illness and concerns that students have now, such as STI information.”
According to Kolble, the Community Health Department does health surveys, which ask students what affects their success in school. Forty percent of these students indicated that they did poorly on a test due to a cold.
“The Wellness Program hands out cold care kits,” Kolble said.
According to the survey this would affect 40 percent of the student body.
Anne Reinhart, Professional Health Coordinator of the Student Wellness Program, said that with the budget cuts, the Community Health Program would have to cut back on employees as well.
“We have six student coordinators, two interns that are paid through a grant, and thirty to thirty-five active volunteers who are students,” Reinhart said. “I personally think we would have to cut back on four to five positions, as a whole, we would lose eight to nine student staff positions, two coordinator positions and maybe even our graphic artist.”
The Student Wellness Program would have to cut back on the number of informational topics it covers and the number of events the program hosts as well.
“We put on information tables, presentations on body awareness and are currently hosting Body Awareness Month,” Reinhart said.
Reinhart also said that despite the loss of information being spread, there would also be a loss of community on campus.
“As students are going through school, school isn’t the only thing important to them,” Reinhart said. “It is important for students to have many ways to get help and that is what our department offers.”
Matt Leroue, a senior biological sciences major, is the junior co-chair of the Student Health Board and said the Student Health Board tried to explain to the Legislative Counsel what Community Health’s role is on campus and what it means to students.
“We try to take the knowledge of what students want on campus and relay that to the Legislative Council,” Leroue said.
As of last Thursday, Leroue said that only a $29,000 increase was allocated for Wardenburg. This means that the $118,000 that was supposed to be allocated for the Courage Program was not included in the bill. Therefore, Community Health is losing around $344,000 from their budget.
Kolble seems to have faith in the student body.
“Whatever happens,” Kolble said. “I’m going to be out there telling students to vote for what they want.”
Wednesday: A light at the end of a tunnel – A STARS participant talks about all that’s on the line with the program.
Stay tuned to thecampuspress.com for continued coverage, live blogs of the Thursday night meetings and breaking developments as they arise.
