WSU President Elson S. Floyd and Associate Vice President Joan King, who is also the University’s Chief Budget Officer, educated the President’s Student Advisory Board on university budget procedures and tuition fees during their third meeting of the spring 2015 semester, yesterday afternoon.

A public online survey was opened at 4:30 p.m. after the meeting for students to voice their opinions on the content shared during King’s presentation.

The meeting was open to the public and leaders of active student organizations on campus were asked by PSAB Coordinator Logan Dozier to encourage attendance by their affiliated members, Dozier said. Associate Dean of Students Karen Fischer confirmed this statement.

Only one individual was present in the student seating section.

In spite of low attendance, the board began its meeting about ten minutes early and listened to King explain how the state budget cycle works.

WSU’s operating budget is enacted on a two-year cycle. WSU’s next budget cycle will begin on July 1, 2015 and end on June 30, 2017.

This operating budget depends on fund sources for core university functions that include facilities and administrative fees on grants, net operating tuition, and state appropriations.

“These three things are used to fund the permanent budget of the University,” King said. “These are the only categories really available for the president to allocate to.”

The biennial budget process that generates these funds begins with a revenue estimate, budget request, budget calculation, and expenditure limits calculation that is factored into the state Governor’s own budget recommendation. This is segmented in two sections titled books.

Before he finalizes his recommendation, Floyd has the option to line item veto anything on the budget. Essentially, he could take anything off of the budget that he does not agree with, granted he provides an explanation and places it on a memo list of items struck.

Afterwards, the state house and senate both develop their own budgets based on the Governor’s recommendation. The conference committee then generates its own budget based on these proposals and gives it to both the house and senate to be passed.

Once passed, the Governor has the final word before allotments are sent to agencies. WSU is currently sitting between the house and the senate’s budget proposals.

Once allotments are sent, King’s office gets involved. They begin to break down their expenses and only allocate from net operating tuition, fees, and state appropriations.

“The funds we spend are exactly approved by the government to the dollar and cent,” King said. “State appropriations are eroding at a rapid rate.”

The 2013-2015 operating budget listed 16 percent of the fund sources available as state appropriations. From 1995-1997, the operating budget listed 36 percent of the fund sources available as state appropriations, she said. The 2015-2017 Governor’s proposal to WSU’s operating budget request fell short even further.

“It wasn’t really what we wanted,” King said.

The amount requested by WSU was cut by nearly $73 million in Book 1, and nearly $34 million in Book 2.

King attributed this to higher education being the largest part of the state’s discretionary budget.

“Overall state spending has increased nearly $8.7 billion since 2001 to 2003,” she said. “Overall spending on higher education has increased only $156 million in the same timeframe but we’ve seen a decrease in state funding. Washington public baccalaureate institutions have seen a $334 million decrease in state funding.”

Tuition revenue is divided into two separate categories. There are capital building fees, which are managed by the legislature, and operating fees, which are managed by the University.

Capital fees are a one-time fund given by the state. Operating fees are ongoing. Ongoing fees are utilized to pay staff and faculty.

In closing, King shared the University’s tuition proposal.

“Tuition will not increase for 2015-2016, subject to Legislative and Governor actions consistent with current tuition proposals in the House and the Senate,” she said.

King said that it is important for the University to let students and their families have their voices be heard regarding tuition increases and decreases. An online survey open to all students regarding the tuition was announced.

“Why are we asking a question if there is no increase?” President Floyd asked immediately after the announcement.

King explained that the University is required by the legislature to ask for input by any student whether there is an increase or not.

The floor was opened to anyone in the room that had questions for President Floyd. ASWSU representatives asked questions about potential tuition decreases that have been proposed and GPSA asked questions about future S&A deliberations.

“We need help with the conversation,” Chris Gambino said.

The board analyzed the mandatory student fees of other PAC-12 schools, discussed the conflicts of interest present on the current S&A board, briefly touched on what the future S&A board might look like, and reflected on a potential fall break next semester.

President Floyd could not speak further on the matter of S&A since its board is still something in the process of being restructured. He said they would discuss the matter next fall.

The announced survey will be open to the public until April 23 and can be accessed at tuition-survey.french.wsu.edu. Information from the meeting is available online through the budget office website.

“The feedback that is received will go directly to President Floyd and the Board of Regents,” Dozier said. “It is crucial to get student input on this issue since the Board of Regents sets tuition.”