Recap of January 27 ASUAF Meeting
By Jonathan Wasilewski
The Associated Students of the University of Alaska Fairbanks, or ASUAF, discussed concerns about the UAF cross country team using the Student Recreation Center, school funding, schedule planner updates, and travel funds at their Jan. 27 meeting.
In the meeting, ASUAF President Jackson Nelson gave an update on the federal and state funding affecting UAF. A few weeks before the meeting, Nelson was a panelist at the chancellor's budget forum where Chancellor Mike Sfraga spoke optimistically about federal funding. Nelson said UAF’s financial outlook took a turn for the worse the weekend before the meeting, referencing recent national events involving the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE. These events included the fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Jeffery Pretti in Minneapolis by ICE earlier this month.
“These [killings] caused a bunch of issues with Congress, and largely around the conduct and the operations of ICE. And what that's essentially done is it has caused kind of a whole halt in our federal budget,” said Nelson.
Nelson stated that UAF draws a huge part of its budget from national research agencies, and that there is stopgap funding at the moment. Stopgap funding is money provided at the beginning of the year while Congress figures out the budget for the upcoming fiscal year. This funding expired on Jan. 30, which may result in a government shutdown soon.
Nelson mentioned next that the UA Board of Regents has requested an 8.3% increase for $29 million to cover compensation, mental health, and recruitment. “There’s also a huge push to replenish the higher deficit funds [in the state government],” he said. Budget deficits occur when the money going out exceeds the money coming in, according to the U.S. Treasury. Nelson said that Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy is expected to introduce a package that will reduce spending limits and create a statewide sales tax.
Geology and pre-law student Rumi Patchkofsky attended the meeting to discuss receiving funding for a trip to Juneau, and University Registrar Holly McDonald was there to talk about concerns with UA’s online schedule planner.
Because UA Online is shared by UAF, the University of Alaska Anchorage and the University of Alaska Southeast, the schedule planner didn’t work correctly when the system went through an upgrade.
She said that the current schedule planner is not a perfect solution, and that it will most likely take 18 months before a new system is received.
Katie Straub of the alumni relations department discussed having relations with ASUAF for the upcoming statewide giving day, a 49-hour fundraising event taking place from March 24 to 26. Straub said the team was excited to work with ASUAF.
Director of Nanook Recreation Mark Oldmixon and Wellness Coordination Fellow Caleb Grassi discussed a recent resolution regarding the University of Alaska Fairbanks’ cross country team. The team currently lacks their own running track and have been using the SRC to practice.
One concern that Oldmixon cited from his decade of leading the Student Recreation Center is that the facility was not designed for athletic teams. It is intended to give students a space for recreation, not competitive sports. Oldmixon said that is why the SRC has been “resistant” to the track team practicing there, although the SRC hasn't “said no to them at all.”
Oldmixon said that the team has a major impact on the center’s one lane running track, which includes a walking lane and a passing lane.
Oldmixon declined to comment about long-term plans to relocate the cross country team practices and if there had been any specific budget losses because of the team’s disruptiveness.
“I’m fully supportive of a track team,” Oldmixon said. “I’m just not sure it’s the right team in the right location.” UAF does not currently have an official track team. Many UAF cross country athletes practice together in the SRC to participate in spring track and field events on an individual basis.
If the bill was signed, Senator Jesse Tyrell stated that the team would be allowed to use the track for two hours a week during which other students would not be permitted to share it. His comment led to hesitation from ASUAF, and the bill was not voted on in the meeting. Instead, it was sent to the External Affairs Committee and then the Senate.
ASUAF Vice President Yan Vyshynskyi also provided an update at the meeting, saying that there are two workshops being planned for clubs: event management and funding.
Director of Public Relations Lilly Varney then talked about representing ASUAF at the Great Pasta Cookoff, the ASUAF photoshoot, a craft program, and the UAF Career Closet. The UAF pasta event will be held on Feb. 11 in the Wood Center from 12 to 2 p.m., where students will vote on the best pasta made. All proceeds will fund Alternative Spring Break.
Next to speak was Finance Committee Chair Eugene Wiltz, who discussed two action items: a resolution to create an ASUAF display, and funding Patchkofsky’s trip to Juneau.
“One of my biggest goals in life is to become an environmental lawyer in Alaska,” Patchkofsky said. She stated that pre-law majors need much experience, and most of the environmental cases end up being Alaska Supreme Court cases, which are held in Juneau.
Patchkofsky will bring back information to peers about how environmental cases work at the state supreme court level.
The resolution was referred back to the planning commission.
Wiltz also mentioned two completed action items: sponsoring Nenana City School and West Valley High School and the budget revision for fiscal year 26. The resolution sponsored the schools by providing $998 to place a 4 by 4 advertisement on promotional t-shirts and was sent to the senate.
The meeting was adjourned at 7:02 p.m.
ASUAF meets every Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. Students are welcome to join and voice concerns to the members of the senate. For students not attending in-person, Zoom links are available at www.uaf.edu/asuaf/meetings.