SFAC Structure

SFAC is charged with the duty of recommending to the Chancellor on the expenditure of SSF, in its entirety, across the UCSB campus, as stipulated in the Regents Policy 3101 (Student Fee Policy). SSF, which is separate from tuition, student government, and lock-in fees, is “used to support services and programs that directly benefit students and that are complementary to, but not a part of, the core instructional program.”

This includes operating expenses in certain areas of the Division of Student Affairs, as well as projects and programs that generally cater to social, recreational, cultural, health, and career support services, with the intent of creating “a supportive and enriched learning environment for University of California undergraduate, graduate, and professional students.

”The Regents Policy 3101 states that, “At each campus, the Chancellor or his/her designee annually shall solicit and actively consider student recommendations, with the intent of honoring as much as possible student recommendations on the following: the use of Student Services Fee revenue; and the annual Student Services Fee to be set by the Regents.

Student recommendations shall be provided by each campus' Student Fee Advisory Committee recognized by the systemwide Council on Student Fees. ”The Council on Student Fees is composed of the SFAC members from each UC campus and meets quarterly.

While all SFAC members are encouraged to attend these meetings, because they are a great source of information and collective power, only the SFAC chairs are required to attend.

Although SFAC is charged with recommending the expenditure of SSF in its entirety, SFAC tends to focus on the allocation of one-time funds and the reserve funds. In fall quarter, SFAC solicits funding requests from departments within the Division of Student Affairs, as well as other campus departments so long as their requests coincide with SFAC’s mission. Funding requests are reviewed during winter quarter, and recommendations are made to the Chancellor by the end of spring quarter.

SFAC has an annual permanent budget which consists of one-time funds which are intended to be spent in its entirety every year. If the Division of Student Affairs funded by SSF comes in under their budget at the end of the year, the surplus revenue goes into SFAC’s reserve account. The reserve account should be used to fund larger, more expensive projects, although it can also be used to fund smaller projects, essentially increasing the amount of one-time funds available to SFAC.

However, it is generally advised that the reserve account have a balance of over one million dollars, in order that successive generations of SFAC have the opportunity to fund a large project should it come along during their tenure and is deemed a high priority.

The prestige which is bestowed upon the Committee is a result of the tremendous responsibility under its charge and the professional and dispassionate methods employed by members in setting Student Fee policy (Regents Policy 3101). SFAC members are encouraged to discuss with the SFAC advisors any questions they may have concerning the operation of the University or specific SSF funded departments.
Individual SFAC members should also feel free to contact department representatives within the Division of Student Affairs if they would like additional information.

The Regents Policy 3101 says, “The SFAC shall have free access to all budget materials in the Registration [SSF] and Educational Fee [tuition] funded areas with the understanding that this information is to be used for committee deliberations only and is to be considered confidential.”

Funding requests should not be approved indiscriminately. It often happens that funding is requested for projects/services that ought to be covered from a department's operating expenses. These are just a few examples of the type of information the Committee should require. If the department cannot provide sufficient information they should be asked to provide it following the meeting or they may be invited to another meeting with SFAC to clarify unresolved issues or concerns.

It is the burden of the department to provide information and make their request clear. SFAC members should feel free to ask questions until they believe they fully understand the request and how the money will be used. The following list of priorities (not listed in any particular order) was developed by the Committee to provide a clear basis for making decisions. 

SFAC in the past has operated under open and flexible rules regarding Committee discussion and decision making, which results in relationships of trust and respect that develop between and among Committee members. An open Committee atmosphere, tempered by confidentiality and mutual respect, has proven successful in fostering the development of successful policies.

Without assured confidentiality, the SFAC would not have access to all of the relevant information that it requires and would cease to function as a competent advisory body. SFAC members review confidential material with the understanding that this information is only to be used in Committee deliberations. The issues discussed in the meetings are also confidential. Confidentiality allows members to be up-front and open in expressing their opinions and ideas during meetings.

The SFAC makes efforts to request student input into the decision making process. One way this is done is through open meetings. During this time, any student, staff, or faculty may address their concerns directly to the entire Committee.

Members are encouraged to solicit additional input from interested parties by talking and listening to what peers have to say about Student Fee programs.

SFAC members might have difficulty when judgments and opinions differ on an issue. This dilemma is especially vexing because it can place members in uncomfortable positions. Members should bear a few things in mind if this occurs. They are not bound to vote in a particular way because they have been asked to do so. Members’ appointments are designed to insulate them from such pressure and allows them to become well acquainted with the extensive budget materials used by the Committee.

Committee members are the only ones with access to all the relevant information. Since much of this
information is confidential, it may be impossible for members to share with interested parties the mitigating circumstances of a problem. At times, the Committee’s conclusion or decision can be different from the general student opinion.

SFAC has two funding sources. The first is an annually recurring ‘one-time’ fund that comes directly out of the Student Services Fee (SSF) budget and is allocated with the recommendation of the Committee to the Chancellor. Consider this the operational budget. The second is the SFAC reserve account. Any leftover money from the one-time annual budget gets transferred into the reserve account.

Furthermore, any remaining funds from the overall SSF budget are transferred into this account. When SFAC chooses to fund a particular request, they should designate it as a one-time fund expense or a reserve account expense. The advisor from the Office of Budget and Planning should be consulted for additional budget details.

SFAC should monitor the progress of projects that have received funding to make sure the funds do not lapse (which happens 1 year after approval by the Chancellor). The Chair is encouraged to email specific departments/requestors and ask for a project update during the subsequent spring quarter after funding has been approved by the Chancellor during the previous school year.