By Hannah Gray
In his State of the Campus address Monday, ASUP President Kyle Bunch talked about the new residence halls, the success of women's soccer and the kick-start of men's basketball. More importantly, Bunch talked about the challenges ASUP faces in the near future.
The budget oversight and last year's capital improvements - the interior remodel of St. Mary's Student Center and the Pilot House patio - have forced ASUP to be conservative in its budgetary decisions.
Still ASUP will fund a solar panel-lighted crosswalk on Willamette Boulevard. The project will feature a rechargeable battery, along with solar power. Lights will be implanted in the ground with one hanging above. It calls for eight lights on each side of the street to light the crosswalk. There will be a flashing overhead light.
Every semester, ASUP funds a Capital Improvements project. After ASUP officials cut down their list to 10 ideas, they approach the administration to see if University officials are willing to contribute or match funds, Bunch said.
Last year there were problems associated with the Capital Improvements funding.
"Last year for the St. Mary's project, ASUP planned on paying for the furniture and additional computers," Bunch said. The president said a verbal agreement between ASUP and former Financial Vice President, Roy Heynderickx, called for the administration to pay for new carpet in the student center, as well as pay for a significant amount of the patio.
But in the middle of last year, Heyndrickx took another job at University of San Diego. Bunch said that because the agreement was only verbal, a new arrangement had to be negotiated with the new Vice President for Financial Affairs, Denis S. Ransmeier.
The issue of the $10,843 reimbursement from the administration for the St. Mary's carpet has been put on the "short list" and will be resolved in January, Bunch said.
At present, ASUP has paid for all of both projects from last year, which has led to a tightened budget for next semester.
Bunch emphasized that the money to pay for the projects came from the Capital Improvement fund, not club funding.
"It has the least effect of clubs for next semester," assured Bunch. "If these monies get replenished into the ASUP account, it would replenish the Capital Improvements fund."
As for the oversight issue, Bunch said, "It has to be tightened in the overall budget."
This semester's Capital Improvement project is not affected by this allocation of funds.
"We've been conservative enough that it won't affect the future," Bunch said. Next fall, the budget should be back up, which is typically around $240,000, Bunch said.
