FFA FAQs

Does the SFC set mandatory fees?

Mandatory fees are set by the university administration. The SFC does not have a say in ALL mandatory fees, but only the Student Incidental Fee and the Student Building Fee. The SFC recommends the incidental fee amounts to the President and Board of Trustees for approval.

Does the SFC set tuition rates?

The SFC does not have any control over tuition rates. The Board of Trustees sets tuition and other mandatory fees.

What is the difference between the designated reserve and the discretionary reserve and how do I utilize these reserves?

The discretionary reserve uses money set aside by the SFC to fund discretionary items of unique one-time expenses. Designated reserves are set aside by SFC during the annual budget hearings. FFAs must submit a Designated Reserve request to utilize any of these funds. The funding for these budgeted items will remain in the Designated Reserve until the specified FFA complies with all conditions the SFC set forth. 

What do I need SFC approval or Advisory approval to do? 

Please see the Attachments to the SFC Guidelines for information on what programmatic and/or budget changes require Advisory Board or SFC Approval. We will be updating this section with additional resources as our meeting time allows. 

Where can I find all of the deadlines?

You can find all of the important deadlines in our master calendar. You can also go to the "Announcements" tab of the FFA Info page to find a list of all the deadlines for each quarterly report and our last day of office.

Cultural and Physical Development

• We value access to resources that provide support for the physical, emotional, and mental wellbeing of all students. 

• We value cultural and physical development through inclusive, supportive, understanding, and respectful environments. 

• We value efforts toward providing new or adapted modalities. Students must have the option of online-hybrid accessibility and should not feel at a disadvantage in getting services because they aren’t on campus. 

Community Connection and Outreach

• We encourage FFAs to reach out to all students and other FFAs in efforts towards expanding connections and bridging communities. We encourage student opportunities to volunteer and serve within the FFAs. 

Financial Partnership 

• The SFC seeks cooperation from FFAs with the understanding that the SFC recommends a budget directly impacted by declining enrollment, inflation, and a desire to minimize fee increases. 

  • With dwindling funding, the SFC wants to partner with FFAs to identify sustainable budget reductions.

  • FFAs should seek alternative funding sources when applicable. 

• The FFA should measure how the cost aligns with the benefit for students.

Transparency

• We value open communication within the budget process. 

• When navigating the budget process, the SFC wants to understand how FFAs applied the Funding Philosophies to protect budget items from cuts.

• We appreciate and encourage reasonable measurements regarding student engagement and retention to help us make optimal funding decisions. 

SFC Calendar