student activity fee survey - naca · the student activity fee was included within the total...

Student Activity Fee Survey

Dear Colleague:

We are requesting your assistance in the completion of a survey about student activity funds and funding procedures. You have beensent this survey because you are the director of student activities, or you hold an equivalent position on your campus. This nationalsurvey is sponsored by the Research and Scholarship Group (RSG) of the National Association of Campus Activities.

This project is a replication of a study that was conducted in 1978, 1985, and 1996 and subsequently published in three monographs:

· Student Activity Fees: A Legal and National Perspective , by David Meabon, Robert Alexander, and Katherine Hunter, 1978

· A Student Activities Fee Primer: Current research on Collection, Control, and Allocation , by David Meabon, David Sudick, andAnnette Gibbs, 1985

· Financing Campus Activities, by David Meabon, Lee Krehbiel, and David Suddick, 1996

The purpose of this survey is to assess the current status of student activity funds in postsecondary education. We intend to publishthe results in an updated monograph.

This anonymous survey is moderate in length and requires knowledge about multiple aspects of student activity fees on campus. Ourpre-testing shows that administrators require on the average about 15-20 minutes to complete the survey. The survey has foursections: 1. institutional information, 2. questions about how student activities are collected, 3. policies and procedures related to feeappropriation and allocation, and 4. questions about how the fee expenditures are monitored and controlled.

We know that student activity fee policies and procedures vary widely from campus to campus, so there is plenty of space in thesurvey for you to comment or clarify the situation and specifics at your campus. The more specific you can be, the better. (NOTE: if youare not the person to fill out this survey, please let Christine Wilson know who the correct person is.)

If you have any questions about this survey, please feel free to contact Christine Wilson, RSG Chair, at [email protected] you in advance for your time and effort.

Sincerely,

Christine M. Wilson, PhD

On behalf of the Research & Scholarship Group of NACA

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Institutional Information


1. Please select the classification that best describes your institution:

2 year

4 year

4 year + graduate and/or professional school

2. Please select the classification that best describes your institution:

Public

Private

3. Is your institution religiously affiliated?

Yes

No

4. Please select the classification that best describes your institution's location.

Rural

Urban/Metropolitan

Suburban

5. What was the enrollment in 2017-2018?

0-499

500-999

1000-2499

2500-4999

5000-9999

10000-24999

25000-49999

50000 or more

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Fee Collection


6. Please indicate the individual, group, or body who has the primary authority to establish the amount ofthe student activity fee for departments and professional staff to use.

Students (student government or other student group)

Institutional officials (administrators and/or faculty)

Institutional local board of control

Statewide board of control or coordinating agency

State legislature

No fees collected

Not applicable

Other (please explain)

7. Please include any additional information regarding your response to question 6 here, including if youresponded "Not applicable."

8. Please indicate the individual, group, or body who has the primary authority to establish the amount ofthe student activity fee for student organizations to use.





State legislature

No fees collected

Not applicable



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Fee Collection


10. Please check the categories below that describe how student activities, managed by staff members,are financed on your campus. (Check all that apply.)

Mandatory student activity fees

Optional student activity fees

Funds directly appropriated from the institutional budget

Income generated from vending machines or other auxiliaryservices


11. Please include any additional information regarding your response to question 10 here.

12. Please check the categories below that describe how student activities, managed by students (suchas student governments or programming boards), are financed on your campus. (Check all that apply.)

Mandatory student activity fees

Optional student activity fees

Funds directly appropriated from the institutional budget

Income generated from vending machines or other auxiliaryservices



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Fee Collection


14. Please select the category/categories that describes the manner in which student activity fees wereitemized on student bills on your campus for the academic year 2017-2018.

The student activity fee was listed separately from all otherfees.

The student activity fee was included within the total tuitionand fees amount.

The student activity fee was grouped with a number of feecharges but separated from tuition.

Students are not charged a student activity fee. Monies arederived from institutional budget or auxiliary services.

Not applicable



Please include any information regarding your response here.

16. Do part time students pay the same student activity fees as full-time students?

Yes No


17. Do graduate students pay the same student activity fees as undergraduate students?

Yes No

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18. Do online students pay the same student activity fees as on campus students?

Yes No

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Fee Collection



19. Please check the category within which your total student activity budget for 2017-2018 falls-moniesunder staff and departments control. (Includes appropriated, collected, or generated funds from auxiliaryservices or student activity programs.)

$0-$999

$1,000-$4,999

$5,000-$9,999

$10,000-$19,999

$20,000-$49,999

$50,000-$99,999

$100,000-$249,999

$250,000-$499,999

$500,000-$749,999

$750,000-999,999

$1,000,000-$1,499,999

$1,500,000-$1,999,999

$2,000,000-$2,499,999

$3,000,000 or above


20. Please check the category within which your total student activity budget for 2017-2018 falls-moniesunder student control. (Includes appropriated, collected, or generated funds from auxiliary services orstudent activity programs.)

$0-$999

$1,000-$4,999

$5,000-$9,999

$10,000-$19,999

$20,000-$49,999

$50,000-$99,999

$100,000-$249,999

$250,000-$499,999

$500,000-$749,999

$750,000-999,999

$1,000,000-$1,499,999

$1,500,000-$1,999,999

$2,000,000-$2,499,999

$3,000,000 or above

8

Fee Collection


21. Which of the following best describes the frequency with which student activity fees are collected fromfee paying students?

Each semester

Each trimester

Each quarter

Once per academic year

No fees collected



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Policies and Procedures - Appropriation


23. Please indicate the individual, group or body who has the primary authority to appropriate studentactivity funds for staff and departments to use. To appropriate is to devote money for a specificpurpose.





State legislature

Not applicable



25. Please indicate the individual, group or body who has the primary authority to appropriate studentactivity funds for student organizations to use. To appropriate is to devote money for a specificpurpose.





State legislature

Not applicable



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27. Please select the category which best describes the process used by the appropriating individual orgroup in determining appropriations.

Public Hearing Private Hearing



29. Does your institution use internally published guidelines to assist the appropriating body in theappropriation of student activity funds?

Yes No



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Policies and Procedures - Allocation


Required for organization to

receive fundsPrevents organization from

receiving fundsDoes not influence organization’s

eligibility to receive funding

Student group charteredor registered with theinstitution

Student group open tofaculty and staffparticipation

Membership open to anystudent

Student fraternity orsorority

Student political groups

Student religious groups

Student lobbying group

Please include any additional information regarding your response here.

31. Please check the appropriate statement that describes the conditions that affect student organizationeligibility to be allocated student activity funds.

32. Please select the category that best describes the system used for allocating funds to studentorganizations or activities.

Formula-based

Program/Activity-based

Lump-sum

Line-item

Not applicable


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34. Please check the statements that describe what action(s) a student organization must take to apply foror receive student activity funds. (Check all that apply.)

Submit letter of request for funding

Submit record of organization’s expenditures for previous yearthat used student fee monies

Submit statement of organization’s program plans for comingyear

Submit projected budget for coming year

Make a presentation to the body that allocates funds

No action required

Not applicable


35. Which of the following categories best describes when funds are allocated to student organizations?(Check all that apply)

Each fiscal year

Each academic term

Each project or program



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Policies and Procedures - Allocation


37. Please indicate any building or facility that was allocated student activity funds for debt requirementsduring the 2017-2018 academic year. (Check all that apply.)

Student activity fees are not allowed to be used to fund thedebt requirement of campus buildings or facilities

Alumni club or house

Academic classroom buildings

Intercollegiate athletic facilities

Faculty club or house

Campus leisure or recreational facilities

Continuing education facilities

Residence halls

Student unions



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39. Check each student organization or activity or type of activity which was allocated student activitiesfunding during the 2017-2018 academic year. (Check all that apply.)

Academic Clubs

African-American Society (or equivalent)

Asian and Pacific Islander student organizations

Campus Traditions (Homecoming, etc.)

Club Sports (non-intramural, non-NCAA)

Concerts (popular music, non-academic)

Drama & Performing Arts (student organization or academicdepartment)

Educational Activities (short courses, etc.)

Literary Groups

GLBTQI groups

Greek Organizations (Social Fraternities and Sororities)

Student Health Services

Honor Societies

Intercollegiate Athletics

International Students programs and/or support

Intramurals

Latinx student organizations

Lectures

Military

Movies

Music (Choral groups, band, etc.)

Native American and Alaskan Native student organizations

Professional (Student Bar Association, National Society forBlack Engineers, etc)

Service organizations and service programs [such as EscortService (for safety), or APO, a service fraternity]

Student Consumer Group (PIRG, etc.)

Student Government

Student Legal Aid

Student Publications and Media (yearbook, radio, TV, etc.)

Travel for conferences

Travel for competitions

Visual Arts (Art Exhibits, etc.)



41. Does your institution use internally published guidelines to assist the allocating body in the allocation ofstudent activity funds?

Yes No


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16

Expenditure Monitoring and Control


43. Please identify the category that best describes the system used to monitor student activity fundaccounts. (Check all that apply.)

Annual audit

Quarterly-semi-annual audit

Continuous audit




45. Does your institution use internally published guidelines to regulate the expenditure of student activityfunds?

Yes No

46. Please identify those individuals required to authorize the expenditure of student activity funds bystudent groups and organizations. (Check all that apply.)

Student group/organization treasurer

Student group/organization president

Other student group/organization officer

Student government officer

Faculty/staff advisor

Staff member

Institutional president and/or their designee


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48. Please indicate the manner in which student activity funds are organized for student organizations forexpenditure purposes.

Individual institutional accounts for each funded group ororganization

Individual commercial checking accounts for each fundedgroup or organization

Central institutional account for all expenditures of all groupsor organizations

Central commercial checking account for all expenditures ofall groups and organizations



50. Please check the category below that best describes how the end of year balance for student activityfunds for student organizations is handled on your campus. (Check all that apply.)

Balance retained by student organization

Balance returned for redistribution to other student activities or organizations

Balance transferred to institution’s general fund



18

Expenditure Monitoring and Control


52. Please indicate whether or not student activity funds are restricted for the following activities or groups.(Check all that apply.)

No restrictions

Counseling on reproductive matters

Counseling on birth control and abortion

Alcoholic beverages

Legal fees for students

Salary for staff attorney for students

Political contributions

Partisan political activities

LGBTQI student organizations

Religious student organizations

X rated movies

Controversial speakers

Insurance

Payment for paid student staff

Payment for professional staff at the institution

Payment of student organization officers

Travel (professional development; conferences; competitions)for student staff

Travel (professional development; conferences; competitions)for student organization officers

Travel (professional development; conferences; competitions)for professional staff at the institution

Office supplies for student organizations

Office supplies for staff

Marketing and promotions

Awards and prizes for professional staff at the institution

Awards and prizes for student organizations

Awards and prizes for student organization leaders

Awards and prizes for student staff (paid)

Dues or membership fees for national or regionalorganizations

Maintenance of institutional or campus buildings

Renovations

Construction



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54. Are student organizations that receive student activities funds are allowed to invest these monies ininterest earning accounts, purchase interest bearing notes, or certificates?

Yes No


55. Are student organizations that receive student activity funds required to file federal and/or state incometax returns?

Yes No

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56. If you have any other comments, clarifications, or explanations about your institution's student feefunds, please list those here.

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57. In order to keep track of what institutions have responded, please list the name of your institution here.Please note that survey information will only be reported in aggregate, so no school names or identifyinginformation will be used.

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Thank you for taking this survey. We really appreciate the time you spent sharing this information. Your input will invaluably contributeto the on-going assessment, evaluation, and research initiatives of campus activities.

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