Abby Peschges/Winonan

Proposals over the 2014 Student Life budget by the Student Fee Management Committee, SFMC, have created controversy among students as reports that the art and music department would lose its funding.

The finalized budget passed last Wednesday and ended with cuts only to the shuttle service, which is being picked up by the base budget, and cuts to clubs that no longer exist. The originally proposal included a cut to funding for the Lyceum series and a one percent increase for students’ Student Life Fee; though they were taken out of the final and approved budget.

A budget proposal was leaked three weeks ago to students that the art and music department funding would be cut from the Student Life fee, causing students, like Patrick Manansala, to take action in protest to the proposal.

Manansala took to Facebook to inform students about the possible loss of funding. “The budget proposed…contains an $84,500 cut in ‘music activities.’ This includes promotions for your student recitals, large ensemble concerts and other ‘Free Admission’ events sponsored by the department.”

The budget proposing the cuts to the art and music department was an unofficial submission by Student Senate President, Alexandra Griffin, who was unavailable for comment.

Student Senate Treasurer and head of the SFMC Jacob Hite said Griffin proposed the $84,500 cut under the pretense that it would be picked up by the departments with which the productions are associated.

Budget cuts were necessary as Hite explained Winona State University was not in compliance with MnSCU policy, which states that the amount of money in the reserve must be between 25 to 50 percent of the amount of money brought in.

Hite said, “It’s hard to understand why we should put money into an account we’re not going to use.”

The SFMC has been working on budget proposals since the beginning of Thanksgiving and focusing on the Student Life fee since March. Hearings took place for students to offer ideas or defend programs that were facing cuts.

The Student Fee Management Committee consists of twelve students, four of which are senators, and six faculty, the Dean of Students, Assistant Vice President, Budget Analyst, Associate Director of Student Activities and Leadership, Director of the Student Union and Associate Vice President, CFO.

Contact Abby at [email protected]