BY RAEGAN NEUFELD
Fort Hays State University’s Student Government Association was informed tuition, housing and dining expenses will most likely increase by a modest margin for FHSU students in the next year at their weekly meeting on Thursday.
Wesley Wintch, vice president for administration and finance, was the guest speaker at this week’s meeting. Wintch requested to be the speaker in order to keep SGA updated on campus finances.
According to Wintch, campus finances are in a good place, but he did focus on some problems related to the decrease in enrollment the university is seeing.
“What that means is we don’t have the same amount of revenues we were getting with more students,” he said.
In response, budgetary adjustments have been made over the last few years and will continue to happen. However, as Wintch mentioned, another added problem is inflation – specifically for dining hall food – a cost that is currently inflated by 10 percent.
Conversations about tuition don’t happen with the Kansas Board of Regents until the spring, but Wintch said he wanted to get ahead of a probable increase.
“I see it coming,” he said. “And because I see it coming, I want to be ahead of it with my Student Government Association so that you guys know what this is about when we start engaging with this next spring.”
Wintch will most likely be presenting to SGA again in the spring, but he encouraged the senators to use the time they have to come to him with any challenges or concerns.
Additional updates were given to the senators from the executive staff. Treasurer David Schulte shared his knowledge about the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences reorganization, which he gained from attending the special Faculty Senate meeting on Tuesday.
President Ryan Stanley, who met with Provost Jill Arensdorf to discuss the reorganization, said he is open to any questions senators may have.
In her report, Legislative Affairs Director Ella Burrows informed the senators about an upcoming open forum she has been working on related to the CAHSS reorganization. FHSU President Tisa Mason, Arensdorf, Faculty Senate President Rob Byer, and Stanley will be available as a panel for students to ask questions at 7:00 p.m. on Oct. 18. The location for this panel is yet to be determined.
“It’ll be a great opportunity for students to ask questions about the (CAHSS) reorganization, different general education program changes coming up, as well as other questions they may have about the university,” Burrows said.
In other business, Vice President Austin Ruff announced the election of six new freshman senators, and an announcement was made about an upcoming 5K race, hosted by the Department of Teacher Education. The race will honor Serena Blaske, an FHSU student who passed away in December.
The next SGA meeting is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. on Sept. 30, in the Memorial Union Peter Werth Black and Gold Room.