By JACK ARMSTRONG
News Editor
The Incidental Fee Committee (IFC) is one of the most important student organizations on campus that many probably don’t know much about. Most students who are not heavily involved in extracurricular
activities or athletics don’t have much of a reason to come into contact with the IFC, but the committee’s decisions affect each and every student on campus.
The group meets during the winter quarter of each academic year to decide on a budget for the incidental fees that are a part of tuition for everyone who attends Western.
As IFC Chair Quinn Forner explained, the fees cover “enhancements for student life that are outside of academics.” In other words, these fees fund the parts of student life that aren’t covered under general tuition such as athletics, campus recreation including Health and Wellness, and student services such as Wolf Ride.
This year’s fee of $322 per term was decided upon last year during a series of annual meetings and debates.
The council meetings are observed by a small group of faculty advisers including Dr. Gary Dukes, vice president of student affairs and Darin Silbernagel, director of business services.
While faculty and staff are present on the council, the only members who can cast a vote and make a decision are current Western students.
This means that student leaders such as members of the Associated Students of Western Oregon and the student senate have the final say in what gets funded, and in turn, how much the incidental
fee for the upcoming year will be.
It may seem that a student-run council would have vastly different opinions about the budget, but to ensure that these meetings stay on track, everyone follows the rules of order used in all official
U.S. congressional proceedings.
Among other things, these rules govern who can talk, when they can talk, and provide a clear structure of command for healthy debate.
In addition, the meetings are required to abide by Oregon state law since they are open to the public
and concern state funds that utilize general public tax dollars.
Even during heated debates, the proceedings are easy to follow and understand.
Each meeting follows the same general procedure: the meeting is called to order by the Chair and
general business of the committee is dealt with. This usually encompasses decisions about future meeting times and agendas for the current meeting. Once these items have been discussed, it’s time to
move onto the budget presentations.
During the initial round of meetings each group on campus that is funded by IFC is allowed to give a
short presentation to the committee concerning their budgetary requirements for the upcoming year.
This usually includes the possible consequences of suffering a budget cut, and any additional money
that they are requesting for their organization.
Most groups are represented by their faculty/staff advisers at these meetings, but students who
are a part of the club are also allowed to speak with the committee to make their case.
After each presentation, the floor is opened to questions from the IFC members and others in attendance. They can ask anything they like concerning the budget, the requests, and the possible effect of any cuts. Usually the questions concern the importance of particular items requested
through additional money since not every item can be granted.
The Journal attended the meeting on Jan. 26, 2015, that saw presentations from Athletics, Student
Access and Disability Services, and Student Media (full discloser, student media funds The Journal).
Student Access presented first asking for enough money to hire an extra full time translator for
students with difficulty communicating.
Athletics asked for more financial support from IFC for traveling teams and keeping Western compliant with NCAA regulations.
Student media focused on funding for replacing old technology within KWOU and The Journal. After the speeches and question sessions were completed the meeting was adjourned.
The session of IFC held on Jan. 26 was the last session where clubs were able to make their arguments,
and now the committee looks to preliminary decisions and then the final vote. However, students
can still make an impact on the final call.
After the meeting, Forner encouraged all students with an interest in the budget to attend the
two open committee hearings.
These sessions will be held on Thursday, Feb. 5 at 5:30 p.m. in the Summit Room, and Monday, Feb. 9 at 5:30 p.m. in the Pacific Room, which are located in the WUC.
Both are open to the public, including students and community members, giving both groups a chance to ask questions and show support for their favorite clubs and activities. Individuals who wish to present are offered 3 minutes, and groups are offered 5.
For more information, visit wou.edu/wp/ifc or contact Adela Aguilar, IFC secretary, at guilara@wou.edu or 503-838-8303. Committee hearings are at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 5 and Thursday, Feb. 9 in the Pacific Room.
