RCW 28B.15.045 Services and Activities Fees-Guidelines Governing Establishment and Funding of Programs Supported By-Scope-Mandatory Provisions-Dispute Resolution

• Library: Washington Statutes
• Edition: 2023
• Currency: Current through the 2023 1st Special Session
• Year: 2023
• Citation: RCW 28B.15.045

The legislature recognizes that institutional governing boards have a responsibility to manage and protect institutions of higher education. This responsibility includes ensuring certain lawful agreements for which revenues from services and activities fees have been pledged. Such lawful agreements include, but are not limited to, bond covenant agreements and other contractual obligations. Institutional governing boards are also expected to protect the stability of programs that benefit students.

The legislature also recognizes that services and activities fees are paid by students for the express purpose of funding student services and programs. It is the intent of the legislature that governing boards ensure that students have a strong voice in recommending budgets for services and activities fees. The boards of trustees and the boards of regents of the respective institutions of higher education shall adopt guidelines governing the establishment and funding of programs supported by services and activities fees. Such guidelines shall stipulate procedures for budgeting and expending services and activities fee revenue. Any such guidelines shall be consistent with the following provisions:

(1) Student representatives from the services and activities fee committee and representatives of the college or university administration shall have an opportunity to address the board before board decisions on services and activities fee budgets and dispute resolution actions are made.

(2) Members of the governing boards shall adhere to the principle that services and activities fee committee desires be given priority consideration on funding items that do not fall into the categories of preexisting contractual obligations, bond covenant agreements, or stability for programs affecting students.

(3) Responsibility for proposing to the administration and the governing board program priorities and budget levels for that portion of program budgets that derive from services and activities fees shall reside with a services and activities fee committee, on which students shall hold at least a majority of the voting memberships, such student members shall represent diverse student interests, and shall be recommended by the student government association or its equivalent. The chairperson of the services and activities fee committee shall be selected by the members of that committee. The governing board shall insure that the services and activities fee committee provides an opportunity for all viewpoints to be heard at a public meeting during its consideration of the funding of student programs and activities.