Ferst Center funding under debate

Recent changes in the administration of the Ferst Center for the Arts have forced alterations to the way that it receives funding from SGA.

Although the funding of the Center is not in jeopardy, several modifications will have to be made in the way the Center receives student activity fee money for the 2000-2001 budgetary year.

Until recently, the Ferst Center was considered to be underneath the Student Center for administrative and financial purposes. However, this was changed this past summer.

According to Roz Meyers, Associate Vice President for Auxiliary Services, the decision to have the director for the Center for the Arts report directly to the Associate VP for Auxiliary Services was made so that the increased activity at the Center could be better handled.

Last year, there were 11 shows at the Center. This year, John Talbot, the new director, has scheduled 50.

Although the Ferst Center's move out from underneath the umbrella of the Student Center was beneficial from an administrative standpoint, it left the Ferst Center without the ability to request a budget from the student activity fee as a service of the Student Center.

Student activity fee money is used by the Ferst Center to subsidize discounted student tickets and to pay for the free usage of the theater that student groups enjoy.

Student activity fees are one of four sources of income that the Ferst Center has, but they represent a significant portion of the Center's revenues.

Traditionally, the Ferst Center has been funded as part of the Student Center, which is known as a Tier 1 organization - one whose needs are looked at first in the budgeting process of the student activity fees.

The only Tier 1 organizations are the Student Center and SAC, so once the Ferst Center became administratively independent of the Student Center, it became ineligible for funding as a Tier 1 organization.

In addition, SGA has a policy of not funding activities of Auxiliary Services, with the notable exception of the Student Center.

Thus, student funding of the Ferst Center became an issue that had to be worked out between SGA and Auxiliary Services.

According to Tyler Brown, Undergraduate Student Body President, a compromise between SGA and Auxiliary Services that would allow continued funding the Ferst Center is in the works.

Under this plan, SGA would set aside a block of $150,000 for the 2000-2001 budgetary year. The Ferst Center would be reimbursed for the actual number of student tickets purchased for each event.

Brown states that this will ensure that the Ferst Center is "bringing programming that students want to go to... by creating a direct subsidy that reflects student attendance."

The fact that the $150,000 subsidy could run out has been acknowledged and is being planned for; however, no specific plans exist yet to cover this contingency.

In addition, a way will also have to be found to subsidize student groups who want to use the theater. Currently, it costs about $2,000 to rent the theater.

It is possible that SGA could simply cover the cost for each group that wished to use the theater. Usually, there are about 6 events per year that require the use of a facility like the Ferst Theater.

The budgeting process is far from complete, so many options remain open, and both Meyers and Brown are confident that a solution can be found.

The main goal, according to Meyers, is "supporting programming and the use of the theater" by students, however, it exact details of how this will be done remain to be worked out.