The Student Technology Fee Committee discussed how to allocate the remaining STF fund of $222,143 in a meeting Monday afternoon.
At its next meeting — the last of the fall semester — the committee determined plans to have more accurate information from the fall to help project the spring semester’s potential spending amount.
“I do not think this committee’s objective is to save money,” said Robert Kuhn, vice provost and associate vice chancellor for budget and planning and interim CFO. “It is to spend the money to serve the needs of the students.”
Information Technology Services was the only group to request additional funding at the Monday meeting, and it was granted $160,000 of the $210,000 it requested. After approving this funding, the committee was left with $62,143 that can be divided among other campus programs.
The ITS funding was divided into four proposals, but only two were passed. Those two proposals made up the $160,000.
The first proposal requested $20,000 to help assist in paying for campus-wide software agreements.
Director of Information Technology Services Michael Smith said this year’s campus agreement with Microsoft was more expensive than expected, which could cause problems with some software.
Smith made it clear that Microsoft Office is paid for and will continue to be available for use. With a majority vote, this proposal passed.
The next passing proposal called for a $140,000 wireless network capacity expansion in Coates Hall and the Student Union.
“This would add 45 access points to the Union and about 25 to Coates,” Smith said.
The Student Union has more wireless users than Coates, which is why more access points will be put there, Smith said.
The two failing proposals asked for new software.
The committee decided it would rather see its funding go toward supporting more wireless network improvements. It determined more information was needed about who uses the software, for what, and how often before funding it. The vote was deferred until the Nov. 18 meeting.
“I do not think this committee’s objective is to save money. It is to spend the money to serve the needs of the students.”

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Lauren Duhon

Speaker of the Senate Alex Grashoff discusses the student technology fee Monday, October 21, 2013 at meeting in Thomas D. Boyd Hall.