By Ame Phitwong
ASUP is currently investigating how to spend the $18,500 Capital Improvements Fund (CIF) that has been replenished for the spring semester. So far, none of the money has been used, but students can expect to see improvements the beginning of the fall semester.
"Our ultimate goal is to use the $18,500 to make a large capital improvement in the interest of best serving the student body at the University of Portland," Sarah Carroll, ASUP president, wrote in an e-mail. "Our ultimate decision and the resulting improvement to our campus will undoubtedly enrich the lives of our students."
The CIF is a fund replenished every semester and is financially supplied by 10 percent of each undergraduate's student government fees.
For the spring semester, the Senate narrowed the preliminary list to a final list focusing on replacing furniture, particularly in St. Mary's Lounge, the Pilot House and The Cove, and outdoor seating areas near The Bluff and the Pilot House. ASUP would also like to place more benches around campus.
The ASUP constitution states that money from this fund can only be used for projects that provide physical improvements to the campus and the immediate surrounding area. It cannot be used for events or put towards the funding of a new building, Carroll said.
Junior Dani Schwanz thinks the money could be used more effectively without these restrictions.
"While the aesthetic application of the money looks nice, it really isn't the most beneficial way to spend money on campus," Schwanz said. "Sometimes I feel like the school masks its deficiencies with beauty."
One of the things Schwanz said she'd like to see the money put towards is the intramural and club sports turf field.
"So we can actually play when it's raining and so we feel other sports besides soccer are important too," she said.
Every semester ASUP creates a preliminary list of improvements to designate how the funds could be used. This preliminary list is ultimately voted upon by the Senate.
"ASUP gathers initial feedback before developing the preliminary list," Carroll wrote. "We want everything that ends up on our list of options for CIF use to be improvements desired by the student body."
Last semester, the money from the CIF fund was used to install the closed circuit sound system and flat screen televisions in Howard Hall.
Junior Bailey Saleumvong has no complaints about last semester's additions to Howard Hall, but believes the funds could have been used differently.
"I wish they were a little more practical about what to improve in Howard Hall," he said.
"They could've bought better equipment or fixed that beam that is terrifying and looks like it's going to collapse at any moment."
According to the ASUP constitution, before the use of the funds can be implemented, the objective must be approved by a two-thirds Senate vote.
"The policy allows the Senate to approve 'options' for use of the CIF fund, so we can investigate multiple options for the fund's use," Carroll wrote.
She further explained that the policy was designed this way because sometimes projects do not work out as planned or several projects can be combined. Also, "it is more efficient to have a list of approved 'options' than to have to go back to Senate to approve each idea," she wrote.
ASUP is looking into co-funding for the final list of improvements. Carroll described the possibility of finding co-funding as "promising" and is in the process of negotiation options. Currently, ASUP is considering prices, University timelines, availability of resources and student preferences.
"More money can mean we can replace furniture for a whole room, as opposed to only replacing a few pieces. Unfortunately, $18,500 does not purchase a lot of furniture," Carroll wrote.
"The capital improvement fund is a good idea," Schwanz said. "As long as it is used appropriately with popular student approval."
