Jordan Cuddemi
News Editor
At the Tuesday, Nov. 8 Student Assembly meeting two budget proposals were presented before the board.
Director of Health and Wellness, Christine Burke presented the Center for Health and Wellness budget proposal for the 2011-2012 and 2012-2013 fiscal years. The 2011-2012 expense budget totals $835,964.63. The health center’s budget includes expenses ranging from operating staff salaries to travel, supplies and postage costs.
Burke said one change the health center made to save money and paper was to implement the new electronic medical record system. Along with medical records being in electronic form, the health center also implemented student self check-ins, which are done electronically.
The 2012-2013 health center budget is $813,441.75. Student Assembly carried the motion to pass the Center for Health and Wellness budget for both the 2011-2012 and 2012-2013 fiscal years.
Chief Information Officer for Information Technology Group (IT), Laura Seraichick presented the Educational Technology Fee budget for the 2011-2012 and 2012-2013 fiscal years.
The 2011-2012 expense budget totals $1,740,616.80. Seraichick said the Education Technology Fee budget includes funds generated towards technology on campus. The budget funds the staff at the help desk, technicians, myKSC and Blackboard; along with the projectors, printers, and computers in the classrooms and computer labs. “The budget also funds the refresh cycle for all of the equipment every X amount of years,” Seraichick said. The budget allotted for the refresh cycle allows IT to keep equipment updated.
The 2012-2013 Educational Technology Fee budget totals $1,773,330.70. The motion carried to pass both the 2011-2012 and 2012-2013 fiscal year budgets.
Student Assembly Secretary Kaleigh Liupakka said the Center for Health and Wellness and IT Group present their budgets in front of Student Assembly to keep money expenditure out in the open. “The whole idea of transparency,” Liupakka said. “Not keeping things in the dark.”
Liupakka said these budgets move onto the President’s Cabinet for final reviewing and actual budget implementation.
In other council news, the date for Groove Boston, a mobile club centered on music, has been set for Dec. 10, 2011. According to Student Body Vice President Katelyn Williams last year’s Groove Boston event welcomed over 700 students. Williams said the event is geared towards having an alternative to going off campus during the last weekend before winter break.
The Sodexo Local Student Board of Advisors brought the Zorn Dining Common schedule change to assembly members’ attention. As the college is closed this Friday in observance of Veteran’s Day, the dinning common hours have been change from 7 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. to 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. and the menu will be tailored to brunch and dinner.
This Sunday, Nov. 13, will kick off the KSC fall concert with performances by The Cataracs and Timeflies. Senior class Rep., Dayna Coleman said there are currently 100 tickets left. “They are going fast.”
KSC students can purchase tickets for $5 by logging onto www.ksctix.com. Tickets can be purchased by the general public for $20.
Jordan Cuddemi can be contacted at jcuddemi@keene-equinox.com.