Fee Transparency Project

Present: Marshall, Mel, Vir, Lisa, Sofia, Maya, Lucy, Nicholas, Arielle, Aims, John, Trey, Laila, Sezona, Cheryl

Guests: Michael Andrew (student) attended to observe today

Welcome and Introductions
1. Members introductions: Name, Pronouns, Year, Major, and Space.
2. Order: Cowell, Stevenson, Crown, Merrill, Kresge, Porter, Oakes, RCC, C9, JRL, Graduate Students, SAB, Provost, SUA, Lisa, Sezona, Lucy
3. Guests: Vice Chancellor Akirah Bradley-Armstrong.
Welcome Vice Chancellor Bradley-Armstrong
1. SFAC Charge Letter
2. Akirah explains that she is here to say hello and review the charge for SFAC for the year. This committee is very important to helping advise Akirah. This year there will likely be conversations about facilities; and conversations about budget challenges.
3. Akirah explains that she is committed to SFAC and its activities this year; including backfilling funds for the resource call.
4. Question asked about how DSAS has approached budget reductions. Akirah responds that there was a task force established for DSAS, including primarily the Associate Vice Chancellors for the division. Priority was on keeping positions with direct services to students; the first round of reductions was focused on vacant positions. It’s important that we peel the onion and see what is working, we need to ask questions, understand legacy programs etc. Akirah says that we will be back with a more robust update. When we did our planning for the current budget landscape, this was before the federal cuts to HSI. We need to continue going back to our principles to make sure we are ready for the roller coast we are in. Question asked about how to approach application of budget cuts - do you look at utilization, do you apply cuts evenly, etc.? The key is to keep students on a trajectory toward graduation.
Approval of Agenda & Minutes
1. Approval of Agenda
2. Approval of October 6, 2025 Minutes
3. Approval of October 6, 2025 Closed Session Minutes
  1. No objections and the agenda and minutes pass by consensus.
Public Comment
Announcements & Updates
1. SFAC Jacket + Nametag
  1. Marshall says that every SFAC member will receive a nametag and sweater.
2. Invitation from Oakes College Student Senate
  1. The Oakes Student Senate is excited to announce that we will be hosting our annual Oakes-O-Ween event again this year, and we’d love for you to be a part of it! NEW DATE: October 22nd
3. Fall Quarter Council on Student Fees (CSF) Meeting will be held at UC San Diego on November 15th-16th
  1. Marshall and Mel will attend for sure; Laila, Sofia, Vir, are interested in attending as well.
  2. Summer meeting debrief
    1. Two CSF campaigns
      1. CalFresh alternatives for undocumented and international students
      2. Increased return to aid in SSF increases
    2. Cohort Tuition Model Review
      1. Tuition is based on the year that you arrived at UCSC. Any new increase beyond the current amount, is meant to have an additional section for an activity. 50% of the increase is to support mental health at the campuses.
    3. CSF Meeting Notes
    4. CSF Executive Board Meeting - there will be a meeting before the end of October.
      1. There is an opening for the CalFresh Alternative Campaign Coordinator. Sofia is interested and worked at the basic needs department at UCSC.
4. SFAC Fall Retreat Discussion
  1. Restaurant Outing: Sala Thai, Special Noodle
    1. Suggestion for timeframe: Week of October 20th
      1. Sala Thai is the recommendation.
      2. October 24th or 25th - we will send out a When to Meet Poll
5. Subcommittees - please be thinking about which subcommittee you would like to join:
  1. Subcommittee Interest Form
  2. Outreach
  3. Appeals
  4. Audit
  5. Please fill out the interest form as soon as possible.
Add SFAC Student Assistant as Ex-Officio
1. SFAC Bylaws
2. Bylaws pass by unanimous consensus
Orientation Continued
1. Review budget terminology
2. Small group orientation “workshops” moving forward
Preparing for the Funding Call
1. Goals/Outcomes for this discussion
  1. Approve the memo: 2025-2026 SFAC Funding Call Memorandum
    1. Discussion regarding the multi-year award issued to SFAC by the CPEVC. Do we know for certain if this will be the final year for the funding? Lucy explains that this is uncertain but we should ask about this when AVC Blakeslee visits with us in November.
  2. Approve the funding call: 2025 - 2026 SFAC Funding Proposal Final Draft
  3. Set workshop times
    1. Once per week (weeks 5-8)
      1. We will have three workshops during regular work days and we will have one workshop on a weekend.
    2. 3 Regular
    3. 1 Student
2. Proposed New Rule: 3 year prohibition on any unit with a new/modified fee not related to solely or mostly debt services/facilities
  1. If only changed to undergrad, can still apply for grad funding and vice versa
  2. Discussion takes place regarding this idea, including how the Resource Centers receive a considerable amount of our funds each year. One member shared that the work of the Resource Centers is critical and changes to federal funding will impact them in the coming years. Another member shared that the Resource Centers wouldn’t have known in advance about this possibility, so it wouldn’t be incorporated into their planning.
  3. A question is asked regarding whether we fully fund any activities. Response is not usually, unless there is a proposal asking for a lesser amount (like a student organization asking for $500, for example).
  4. There is a lack of support to move this proposal forward.
3. Summary of Reserves
4. Summary of 2023-2024 Awards and amounts returned
  1. Overall, it looks like about 10% of funding awards are returned.
5. Funding Call Format
  1. 24-25 Application Questions
  2. Summary of 24-25 Awards
  3. Spreadsheet with awards 24-25
    1. Overall summary: 10% of awards allocated were returned
6. Funding Buckets
  1. Google Doc
7. Final Adoption of resource call elements
  1. The memo and application are adopted by consensus.
  2. The deadline for applications will be January 5, 2026 at 5:00 pm
  3. Lucy will lead the appeals subcommittee
[CLOSED SESSION] Resource Centers and Measure 83 - Tabled to next meeting
1. SFAC_Closed_Session_Agenda_101325
Adjournment
1. Meeting adjourned at 4:50 pm

Upcoming Guests/Topics:.

Date TBD: Amber Blakeslee, Associate Vice Chancellor for Budget, Analysis, and Planning + Associate Vice Chancellor for Budget and Financial Management for DSAS Angela Cline
SSF/M7 Annual Report + Overview of Measure 7 (Requested by Lisa)
SFAC SSF Annual Report: https://cosaf.ucdavis.edu/sites/g/files/dgvnsk1561/files/inline-files/COSAF_Annual_Report_2024-25.pdf

Meeting and Committee Member Resources:

SFAC Roster
Orientation Materials
Agendas and Minutes
Tracking Sheet for Campus Based Fees ongoing discussion