Severe budget cut recommendations for various De Anza College programs

The De Anza student body government released their budget recommendations for the new fiscal year, various programs did not get what they asked for

Julia Kolman, Staff Writer

Student senators announced the 2019-2020 budget recommendations during the Jan. 30 DASB meeting. Carolyn Nguyen, president, and Ian Robertsson, chair of finance, reported the finance committee’s funding recommendations for De Anza programs.

Robertsson said at the meeting that the finance committee based part of their decision on how much funding was spent by each programs accounts in the previous years.

 

Below are six college services accounts whose 2019-2020 funding recommendations experienced a greater than $22,000 cut from their original request.   

 

1.Office of Equity, Social Justice, and Multicultural Education

2018-2019 Budget: $7,690

Requested: $42,004

Recommended: $6,330

The budget will decrease funding due to payroll, as several accounts have similarly been affected. The Office of Equity will receive over $1,000 less than the previous year.

 

2.Jean Miller Resource Room, Queer and Now Conference and Safe Spaces Workshops

2018-2019 Budget: $31,550

Requested: $51,687

Recommended: $35,650

The budget proposal offers this joined account the equivalent funding the previous two accounts received collectively in the 2018-2019 budget.

 

3.LEAD Program (Latina/o Empowerment)

2018-2019 Budget: $33,700

Requested: $33,700

Recommended: $6,900

The program had 36 student mentors and tutors employed. LEAD was on hiatus the past year and only spent $6,442 of the $34,021 provided in 2017-2018, said Robertsson.

 

4.Math Performance Success Program

2018-2019 Budget: $43,100

Requested: $73,364

Recommended: $25,380

The Finance Committee suggests to decrease the budget for student payroll, including the Math Performance Success Program. This program receives outside grants in addition to DASB funding.

 

5.Umoja Program

2018-2019 Budget: $9,135

Requested: $72,184

Recommended: $9,670

The Umoja Program, formerly the Sankofa program, will receive a slight increase in funding. The Finance Committee suggests this increase to show support for the African American community, said Robertsson.

 

6.Tutorial and Academic Skills Center

2018-2019 Budget $162,965

Requested: $239,385

Recommended: $111,675

The Finance Committee recommends decreasing funding for the Tutorial and Academic Skills Center, considering the program receives outside funding. Robertsson said this is due to the fact that the account only supports 40 percent of the student tutors.