SGA passed a bill to increase the SAF CPI and another bill that allocates $6,200 to fund catering and decorations for the SGA Friendsgiving Bash.
SAF CPI increase revision
The Student Activity Fee Consumer Price Index increase was revised to an increase of 4.7% rather than the previous 3.7%, meaning students will pay $16.81 rather than $16.06 for the SAF starting in fall 2024. The revision raises fees to a higher rate to account for inflation and is a process done yearly by every department that collects fees.
This new rate of 4.7% was suggested by the CU Board of Regents, who asked every department that submitted their CPI increase before Nov. 1 to revote on the new rate.
Aidan Clark, Student Body Vice President, authored the bill and explained the increase will help pay for rising expenses in student fee-funded areas such as student activities, programs and operating costs in addition to professional student and staff wages and benefits.
However, a few senators had concerns as to why the decision was made to increase the CPI from 3.7% to 4.7%, which was considered a large increase.
“I will still vote yes, because I don’t want just our department to not get the increase if everyone else is going to get the increase, but I am definitely questioning that number,” senator of business Amanda Ford said.
Senator-at-large Jaylee Hepner was concerned about the large increase to every department.
“I’m a little confused to where that number’s coming from … but it sounds like the tuition is going up a lot, same with the fees,” Hepner said. “I’m just having a hard time with swallowing how it’s gone up drastically since we voted.”
Senator of the Arts Micah Vacco took a positive approach, focusing on how this may be able to benefit the budget. “It is definitely not something that I think any of us would want to do, but would be good for a future thing for SGA,” Vacco said.
Friendsgiving catering bill
The Friendsgiving Catering and Decoration Bill was also passed with a unanimous vote at the meeting, which allocated $6,200.00 for food from UCCS Catering and another $58.98 for decorations to fund the annual Friendsgiving Bash hosted by SGA.
Isaiah Watkins, Senator of Education, authored the bill and said there will be enough food to feed 325-375 people. The food will be traditional Thankgiving dishes including fried chicken, green beans, a mashed potato and mac and cheese bar and a couple desserts.
Decorations include a balloon arch, orange tablecloths, a roll of brown butcher paper and artificial autumn leaves.
Originally, Luchals, an affiliated company, was going to cater the event. Watkins changed the plan after a meeting between him, student body president Axel Brown and UCCS Catering.
“Axel and I had a meeting with catering and they would like to keep the money within the system, which is understandable, but we even brought up concerns of how catering has a certain stigma on campus, and they wanted to use one of the biggest events of this fall semester to change that stigma,” Watkins said.
Senator-at-large Jaylee Hepner questioned the decision to partner with catering.
“So, they are forcing us to use them even though they [Luchals] are an extended caterer, and then on top of that they’re almost $2,000 more?” Hepner said.
Speaker pro tempore Carson Hodges was in favor of the bill. “I think even if it’s not the original menu we wanted or the original caterer we wanted, it is food that is going to be essentially free for students,” he said. “I am excited to support this bill no matter what.”
In other news:
- Fentanyl test strips arrived to the Wellness Center and will be distributed around campus for students to take shortly.
- Director of Finance Ian Sachs resigned from his position on Nov. 7.
- Director of Partnerships, Governmental Affairs and Military Liason Jennifer Furta brought in an artist who wants to carve a mountain lion into a tree stump. He discussed what the carving process will look life if he is given the funds and showed examples of his past work.
- There will be a Palestine/Isreal Teach-In hosted on Tuesday, Nov. 14 in UC 302 and 307.
Photo from Getty Images.