New financial code now in development

The Services and Activities Fee Budget Committee is writing a new financial code in which policies regarding these fees paid by students will be outlined.

At a recent board of trustees meeting a request for the approval of $14,513 was made to add new equipment to the Fitness Center on the Olympic College Bremerton campus, despite the fact that there was some misunderstanding between the associated students and the Board of Trustees.

Particularly, it was not clear to the ASOC treasurer, Bryan Davis, why the one-time fund needed to go through the board. Dr. Richard MacLennan, vice president for Student Services, clarified that the reason it needed to be approved by was its large size.

“I understand where Dr. MacLennan was coming from,” said Davis. “But I didn’t understand why it had to go through the board, because if that is what’s expected from us, we didn’t know that.”

With the purpose of clarifying Services and Activities policies in mind, Davis, and the Services and Activities Fee Budget Committee, are now in the process of creating a financial code that, as Davis said, will be a “standard operating procedure” for Services and Activities Fee policy.

“In essence, the financial code outlines what the ASOC Budget Committee expects of the college and what the college can expect from us,” Davis said.

The financial code has been authorized by college President David Mitchell, and has been endorsed by the Board of Trustees.

As stated in the financial code, Services and Activities Fees are “fees other than general tuition and operating fees charged to particular OC students for the support of student-funded services and activities.”

The fees can be used for things such as social events, seminars, workshops, retreats, conferences, equipment and travel. The fees cannot be used for religious worship, exercise or instruction, nor can they be used for political lobbying, unless the Board of Trustees approves the expense.

According to the financial code, budget amendments, or one-time budget requests, such as the $14,513 for fitness equipment, are accomplished by “developing rationale for amendment requests, providing a detailed proposed budget amendment, approval of the Vice President for Student Services; approval of the College President (sic).”

Budget amendments are essentially any unexpected costs that were not included in the original Services and Activities budget, such as damaged or outdated equipment.

The ASOC Budget Committee is a recommending body only, and submits its recommendations to the vice president for Student Services, who then presents it for approval to Mitchell and the Board of Trustees.

“I’m confident that this financial code will be approved,” Davis said.

Currently, all departments are in the process of making their own Services and Actives budget requests for the next academic year.

Spencer Stark of the Athletics Department said that some of the fitness equipment purchased included a new squats rack and a new power-lift rack, which can be used for both squats and Olympic lifts. New floor tiles will be added in the free weights area, where the new equipment will be placed. Additionally, new cubby storage will be installed.

“We’re very excited that the one-time budget request was approved,” said Stark. “With this new equipment and the extra floor space, we’ll be able to have more people exercising at once and the Fitness Center itself will be less crowded.”