Three major cost centers have first budget reading
The UCSU finance board has taken the first step toward establishing the annual budgets for the “Big 3” cost centers on campus, meeting Wednesday evening for the first reading of each proposed budget scenario.
Directors and student leaders from each cost center, including the UMC, Rec Center and Wardenburg, were instructed to present to the finance board their figures for three specific budget scenarios. The board then decides which setup would best support the center and keep student fees at a minimum. For trading and other related stock topics, people can check out aktien investieren!
Approved recommendations from the finance board are only the beginning of the overall budget process.
“It’s basically a recommendation we give to Legislative Council,” said finance board chair Catherine Greguras, citing a proposal’s ascent through higher and higher rankings until a final budget is decided in March.
Greguras said Legislative Council and UCSU Tri-executives will also be reviewing the recommendations made by finance board.
Greguras explained each scenario the cost centers needed to provide during the meeting. They began with their flat 0 percent increase proposal, which would stipulate their budget remain the same from last year. The second scenario added the cost of each center’s unduckables to that 0 percent increase.
Unduckables include any costs that are fixed outside the cost center’s control. Minimum wage increase and fluctuations in gas prices are two examples of unduckables to be covered in the budget.
The final proposal took the 0 percent increase with unduckables, and added to that the cost of three enhancements each center would like to add. These could include the addition of new programs, or simply coming up even in the face of rising operation costs.
“It’s what we see that’s in the best interest for cost center and the student,” Greguras said.
For each of the “Big 3,” the finance board approved a 0 percent increase with unduckables. There will be a second reading of each center’s budget on Feb. 12.
The UMC presented its budget proposals first, covering three different areas of expense: the UMC building, NightRide and Program Council. The functions of each service were outlined to the finance board, along with unduckables and desired projects for the future.
Carlos Garcia, the UMC director, helped emphasize the benefits of each service.
He also went over ways in which the UMC could cut its costs, potentially by closing the building earlier each night or eliminating some custodial and security positions.
Gary Chadwick, the director of both Wardenburg and the Rec Center, followed with a similar presentation of his cost center’s budget scenarios. He said the Rec Center was looking to purchase a new Zamboni and add a lightning alarm system to the outdoor recreation areas.
Chadwick also emphasized the importance of IT upgrades to make Wardenburg more efficient. Specifically, he said he wanted to increase the average number of patients seen to three per hour, which he described as “an industry standard.”
“We would like to start seeing more students, more efficiently, and not turn away as many students at times,” he said.
Finance board will go through the first readings with all other cost centers this Saturday.
Contact Campus Press Staff Writer George Plaven at George.Plaven@colorado.edu.
