Committee reviews budget proposals
Nearly $1 million will be distributed after three-day meeting, program recommendations
JOSEPH GARDNER | THE DAILY EVERGREEN
Capital Budget Director Deborah Carlson gives an overview of the upcoming meeting to decide the disbursement of student technology fees during the meeting in on Monday in Lighty Student Services. Some of the possible recipients of technology funding will be funding for a gaming room in the Chinook center, improvements to the Jewett Observatory, and modernization of Kimbrough Music Building.
March 19, 2019
The WSU Technology Fee Committee discussed requests to use money from the annual student fee at its Technology Budget Review on Monday.
Capital Budget Director Deborah Carlson said the student technology fee was instituted in 2015 and brings in about $640,000 a year for the university.
She said the group has not committed all the available money each year so there is around $350,000 in rollover money. That brings the total amount of money allotted for allocation up to $989,000.
There are 13 requests being made, which adds up to just over $1 million, Carlson said.
The committee held their review meeting to examine the requests being made by different groups to prepare for formal presentations.
Carlson said each group asking for money will give presentations to the committee explaining what projects the money will go to.
One of the requests discussed at the review was for the deployment of a wireless network in Sloan Hall and the Electrical-Mechanical Engineering Building.
Tony Opheim, associate vice president and deputy chief information officer, said those two buildings are made of cement which makes it difficult for radio signals to go through the walls.
“Great if you are in a war, not great if you are trying to do wireless,” he said.
They have to put access points in rooms in those buildings to allow for wireless networks to be used.
Another request discussed is from WSU Esports and Gaming asking to turn room 25 in the Chinook into a gaming room.
Carlson said the group received permission from the Chinook to turn the underutilized room into a room that is dedicated to Esports and gaming.
The presentations will take place on Tuesday and Wednesday with the Technology Fee Committee meeting on Thursday to finalize their allocations for each request.
