As a student-citizen of the Gwinnett Campus community, it is important that you see how funds are spent on your behalf and that you have an opportunity to voice your opinions about the use of those fees. Please read the budget below. Additional contextual information follows the budget. If you wish to make a comment, please use the “post comment” option to do so. The comment period will end on Friday, October 7. Please direct any questions or concerns to Dr. Teresa Raetz.
Coffee and Culture -- $4,345
• Coffee for 16 events $1,420
• Artist fees for 15 events $2,925
Healthy Habits -- $6,915
• 2 massage therapists for 15 events $4,200
• Yoga instructor for 16 sessions $1,280
• Healthy Habits promotional item -- Stress bones $935
• Stress management informational brochures $500
Discounted Student Tickets to Area Events --$2,097.50
• UGA Football $450
• The Nutcracker $710
• High Museum $300
• Young Frankenstein $637.50
Raising Respect -- $1,180
• Impact posters for campus display $600
Raising Respect -- $1,180
• Impact posters for campus display $600
• AIDS Quilt $580
• Clothesline Project $0
Other -- $1,774.95
• Magazine subscriptions $74.95
• Student organizations $500
• Magazine subscriptions $74.95
• Student organizations $500
• Student Travel Support $1200
FALL TOTAL: $16, 312.45
What do you think of these expenditures?
Do you approve?
Do you have suggestions (and, if so, what are they)?
About the Student Activity/Recreation Fee
Providing a vibrant, engaging learning environment that promotes the development of the whole person and supports student achievement in and out of the classroom is part of the University of Georgia mission. Consequently, Student Activity Fees funds are used to promote such an environment. Students enrolled in six or more credit hours at the Gwinnett Campus are required to pay the Gwinnett Campus Student Activity Fee of $45. Proceeds are to be used to fund the activities and events of registered student organizations and to promote personal development, learning or other beneficial out-of-class experiences. Certain purchases are prohibited by law or policy – e.g., alcohol – and other purchases are very restricted – e.g., food.
The fee proceeds fund several types of events, including three main initiatives: Coffee and Culture, Healthy Habits and Raising Respect (see details below). We regularly assess student interests and event effectiveness, and we make changes based on those data. We increase access by tailoring events to suit the unique needs of Gwinnett Campus students, such as offering events on multiple nights to ensure equal access and creating many events in a “ten minutes or less” format.
About the Initiatives
Coffee and Culture is a regular series in which artists are invited to perform or show their work in an informal coffeehouse-type setting. The purpose is to promote the personal development of students by presenting unique forms of cultural or artistic expression in a way that is easily accessible to the busy Gwinnett Campus student.
Healthy Habits is a regular series in which we encourage students to make time for healthy choices on a regular basis, with a special emphasis on stress management. We do this by providing information, opportunities to get immediate relaxation via chair massage, as well as providing a free yoga class.
Raising Respect is a regular series in which we provide information about various identities, ethnicities, cultures, experiences and individuals for the purpose of deepening students’ understanding of difference and promoting inclusion, discussion and mutual respect.
Please contact Dr. Teresa Raetz with any questions or concerns. Thanks for your input!
Do you approve?
Do you have suggestions (and, if so, what are they)?
About the Student Activity/Recreation Fee
Providing a vibrant, engaging learning environment that promotes the development of the whole person and supports student achievement in and out of the classroom is part of the University of Georgia mission. Consequently, Student Activity Fees funds are used to promote such an environment. Students enrolled in six or more credit hours at the Gwinnett Campus are required to pay the Gwinnett Campus Student Activity Fee of $45. Proceeds are to be used to fund the activities and events of registered student organizations and to promote personal development, learning or other beneficial out-of-class experiences. Certain purchases are prohibited by law or policy – e.g., alcohol – and other purchases are very restricted – e.g., food.
The fee proceeds fund several types of events, including three main initiatives: Coffee and Culture, Healthy Habits and Raising Respect (see details below). We regularly assess student interests and event effectiveness, and we make changes based on those data. We increase access by tailoring events to suit the unique needs of Gwinnett Campus students, such as offering events on multiple nights to ensure equal access and creating many events in a “ten minutes or less” format.
About the Initiatives
Coffee and Culture is a regular series in which artists are invited to perform or show their work in an informal coffeehouse-type setting. The purpose is to promote the personal development of students by presenting unique forms of cultural or artistic expression in a way that is easily accessible to the busy Gwinnett Campus student.
Healthy Habits is a regular series in which we encourage students to make time for healthy choices on a regular basis, with a special emphasis on stress management. We do this by providing information, opportunities to get immediate relaxation via chair massage, as well as providing a free yoga class.
Raising Respect is a regular series in which we provide information about various identities, ethnicities, cultures, experiences and individuals for the purpose of deepening students’ understanding of difference and promoting inclusion, discussion and mutual respect.
Please contact Dr. Teresa Raetz with any questions or concerns. Thanks for your input!
Hi, rather than spending the $1420 on coffee in airpots, I would like to see a coffee machine(such as a Keurig that uses pods ) installed next to the microwave, and sell pods in the vending machine so we can have fresh coffee any time we want. We would also need a water dispenser to fill the coffee machine. Looking into a water delivery service might not be a bad idea. I suggest: continue paying the artists for coffee and culture, but reroute the coffee money towards a system that allows access to fresh coffee when coffee and culture events are not scheduled.
ReplyDeleteI feel as though the yoga would be more beneficial to students if it was offered more during the week. Since we're spending $1,280 on Yoga, I think it would be nice to have the classes either before or after class and that way people would be more apt to participate. Since many/majority of the students work and live a good ways away, I think it would work better for alot of people.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I'm unsure about the UGA Football discounted tickets? I haven't heard anything about it and would love to know more.
What is the student travel fee for? When has it been used? It seems like alot of money for services the average student doesn't really see.
Chelsea, this is Teresa Raetz. Thanks so much for your feedback! Here are my responses:
ReplyDelete1. When we started the yoga classes, we asked students what evenings or times they could come. Students told us they come to campus on average two nights per week for classes and weren't willing to come back on other weekday evenings due to their work commutes, families, etc. Saturday morning was the only time we could find where people could come and (most) didn't have classes. It doesn’t work for everyone, of course, but it’s the only time we could find when a “critical mass” said they were available. I'm very willing to have it during the week. Do you have a thought about the best night?
2. We sold tickets to the Coastal Carolina game last week. There were posters in the lobby and the east wing of the building for two weeks, table tent ads near every computer, in the library and study carrels, and I advertised it in the UGA update email I send regularly. We sold out pretty quickly. Because our students don’t pay the Athens athletic fee and don’t get student tickets, this is something they said they wanted and they responded when we offered them. I’m sorry you missed them, if you were interested.
3. Student travel supports (activity fee-paying) students who travel for their academic programs. So if students in a program present a paper at a conference, for example, that’s related to their studies, they can submit a proposal for travel support. I talked about this in the academic program orientations meeting I attended, although not all programs allow me to come talk to their students. I have also advertised it to your faculty and will be advertising it again to students in upcoming UGA Update emails. Two students have already applied for it for the fall.
Hope that helps. Thanks!
The Healthy Habits bones are great but the design is terrible. I would love to have one with the traditional "G" or a bulldog type image printed on at least one side!
ReplyDelete