The Privilege Fee Committee recommended a 7.29 percent decrease of the Fine Arts allocation for the next fiscal year on Monday. This amounts to $23,000.
The allocations to each entity are decided by the “merit as a service to students,” Donald Riffel, committee chair and senior in computer science, said.
The Fine Arts allocation is divided among 10 entities and the committee looked at each entity to determine an increase or decrease to their funds. The committee decreased Architecture, Planning and Design by 10 percent; McCain Auditorium by 20 percent, the Department of Art by 20 percent, and fine art student organizations by 28.57 percent.
When McCain’s director Todd Holmberg presented to the committee on Oct. 7, he voluntarily offered a five percent decrease of McCain’s allocation.
“We should be cautious about placing priority on things especially that we don’t enjoy or appreciate,” said Michael Dowd, committee member and sophomore in animal sciences. “We don’t want to be aggressive and I caution punishing other departments just because they are specific departments.”
Dowd suggested the use of reserve funds to supplement the budget.
The committee voted to increase the department of band and orchestra, choral and opera, communication studies, theatre and dance by $2,500 each. The committee recommends these funds be used for McCain usage fees.
“Students who perform in band, choir and orchestra must pay to use the stage in McCain,” Allegra Fisher, graduate student in music and band teaching assistant, told the committee.
Fisher said the fees vary depending on the length and type of the performance.
No changes were made to Ebony Theater, the Department of English or the International Student Center allocations.
In addition, $30,000 of the total fine arts allocation will be taken from reserve accounts.
