University Park, Pa. -- Last spring at University Park, the Funding Allocation Board (FAB) was created to maximize the use and distribution of the student activity fee. After public hearings and lengthy review and discussion, the board has recommended the distribution of more than $2.8 million for student programs, activities, and services. A full list of the activities funded can be found at www.sa.psu.edu/usa/fab_reports.shtml, along with funding requests, summaries of the proceedings, and supporting documentation.
The student-driven Funding Allocation Board is comprised of seven voting student representatives, three voting staff/faculty representatives, one non-voting student chair and one non-voting staff adviser. The board�s primary goal is to ensure funding for programs, activities, and services that meet the co-curricular needs and interests of students and contribute to a vibrant, engaging and purposeful experience beyond the classroom.
�The members of the Funding Allocation Board demonstrated an exceptional dedication to the students of University Park and a very thoughtful approach to the process of ensuring purposeful allocation of the Student Activity Fee,� said Ellery Loomis, student Chairman for FAB. �On more than one occasion, the Funding Allocation Board deliberated close to seven straight hours, ending well after midnight. The Board�s dedication was truly remarkable and the students of University Park should know that the Board truly looked at the students� needs when allocating.�
In late March, representatives from 12 large-scale and ongoing programs and services were invited to participate in public hearings to defend their written funding requests for a lump-sum annual allocation. Following the hearing process, FAB spent several nights in deliberation, thoroughly discussing and analyzing each of the 12 funding requests. The work culminated recently in the budget recommendations submitted to the Vice President for Student Affairs, Dr. Vicky L. Triponey.
Activities such as intramural sports, the Martin Luther King Jr. celebration, child care, and the Center for the Performing Arts were some of the areas that will receive funding. The University Park Allocation Committee (UPAC) and the Student Programming Association (SPA) received the bulk of the funding. UPAC is responsible for allocating funds on a day to day basis to students and student groups to enhance the out-of-class experience, and SPA, a recently established campus-wide programming organization, is responsible for providing diverse activities, programming assistance and resources, which enhance a student's overall co-curricular experience.
Triponey accepted all of the board�s recommendations to the penny. Additionally, Triponey encouraged all beneficiaries of the annual allocations to seriously consider the implementation guidelines and recommendations by FAB. She also endorsed their suggestion that all programs and activities supported through the student activity fee provide program accessibility for students with disabilities, track participating student demographics to ensure inclusiveness, and eliminate group meals for sponsoring organizations.
�Albeit the inaugural year of the Funding Allocation Board, there was no novice amongst us. Our success was due to our professional growth and the ability to work as a team to reach outcomes that could only be accomplished through strong collaborative effort,� says Christina Lenn, an undergraduate student and voting member of the Funding Allocation Board.
�The inaugural process of the Funding Allocation Board went very smoothly. Due to FAB�s commitment to students, I am confident that the Student Activity Fee has been allocated in the best and most efficient manner, resulting in a higher quality of programs and services for the students of University Park,� says Loomis. �As the student Chairman for the inaugural Penn State University Park Funding Allocation Board, I want to personally thank each of the board members for their unwavering dedication and encourage all students to take advantage of the rich diversity of programs and services made possible from your Student Activity Fee and the thoughtful allocation of my FAB colleagues.�
The funding recommendations are: Child Care Subsidy, $81,000; Recreational Programs and Intramurals, $457,098.31; Student Affairs Diversity Coalition, $65,200; the Bryce Jordan Center, $120,000, the Center for Student Activities and Programming, $33,700; the Center for Student Engagement; $28,955, the Center for Student Engagement Programs, $78,927.00; the Center for Performing Arts, $120,000; the Graduate Student Association, $21,099.00; the Student Programming Association, $755,643.00; the University Park Allocation Committee, $1,099,582.00; the University Park Undergraduate Association, $32,150.00. Total, $2,893,354.31.