Everyone’s Affected
Every University of Houston student pays into the student service fee, as documented by the University of Houston. Since we’re paying the fees, we the students are the main ones hurt by the violation UH admin has made. We stand to benefit the most from Get Back SFAC’s work to reverse the illegal appointments that have been made.
Aside from those directly paying into the student service fee, University Sponsored Organizations (USOs) are also impacted as some receive funding from the student service fee. The following are all in part or wholly funded by our SFAC recommended fee dollars, and compose the “Student Fee Funded Units”. Which ones are your favorites? Can we count on an unelected SFAC to support them?
- Activities Funding Board
- A.D. Bruce Religion Center
- Band Program / Spirit Squad
- Blaffer Art Gallery
- Campus Recreation
- Justin Dart, Jr. Student Accessibility Center
- Center for Student Advocacy and Community – OT requests only
- Center for Student Empowerment
- Center for Student Involvement – OT requests only
- Center for Student Media – OT requests only
- Center for Fraternity & Sorority Life – OT requests only
- Children’s Learning Centers
- CoogTV
- Coog Radio
- Cougars in Recovery
- Council for Cultural Activities
- Counseling and Psychological Services
- Dean of Students Office
- Department of Intercollegiate Athletics
- DSA IT Services
- The Daily Cougar
- Frontier Fiesta
- Health Center
- Homecoming
- Metropolitan Volunteer Program
- SFAC Operating
- Speech & Debate
- Student Government Association
- Student Program Board
- University Career Services
- UH Veteran Services
- UH Wellness
- VPSAES Office
- Women and Gender Resource Center
All Student Fee Funded Units are directly affected by the representation we have on our SFAC, as their departments and organizations must convince those SFAC members through presentations scheduled for October 28th and October 30th that they require and must have their allocations.
Why Fee Funded Units Are In Trouble
SFAC Processes Take Time
It takes time to get budgets recommendations approved for the SFAC, as much communication must be done between UH admin and the SFAC to ensure proper documentation, decision-making, and approval of the budget. Imagine what the majority of our student representation being illegitimate might do to how long that takes. If you are someone that will be presenting to SFAC later this month, are you ready to give the exact presentation twice?
A Lawsuit May Be Possible, Stalling SFAC and Fee Allocations Further
UH admin choosing not to hold the legally required elections for the 3 vacancies and instead opting to do something else – despite concerns being raised – could result in a lawsuit that sets back the SFAC recommendation process. This would warrant a complete redo of the SFAC presentation and recommendation processes. This has never happened before.
If a court finds that the 3 appointments are as illegitimate as they are, presentations will have to be done again with a new SFAC, and only after elections end up happening in the way UH admin originally failed to do. University Funded Units will have to spend twice as much time and more money on presentations made to the SFAC. For many of these fee funded units, there’s simply not enough money to go around wasting it, and UH admin might make it impossible for them not to for a budget and presentation redo.
Don’t Wait, Join the Fight for Our Fees Today
With presentations happening October 28th and October 30th, we have no time to waste. This is urgent, and we can’t defend our power over student fees without your help. Every minute counts that we can use to save our right to voice how approximately $26 million in our student fees gets used.
