BRAE College-Based Fee
The BioResource and Agriculture Engineering College Based Fee (CBF) committee consists of five members and two faculties from the BRAE department. The purpose of the CBF committee is to spend the student voted fee increase money in a way that best benefits the BRAE department and students.
History
In spring of 2002 College of Agriculture students voted to raise their tuition $200 per quarter, given that 95% of that money goes to each student’s respective department and 5% of the money goes to the student’s college, the College of Agriculture. The department money is to be spent at the discretion of the department’s students in a way that improves the department and preserves the value of each student’s college degree throughout their career. Every spring the BioResource and Agriculture Engineering department students elect members for the CBF committee to represent their needs throughout the following academic year.
For more information:
Minutes of the February 2, 2009 CBF Meeting
College Based Fee Advisory Committee
College-Based Fee Proposal Form
2008-2009 CBF Allocations and Expenditures
Why Another Fee Increase?
Keep the BRAE learn-by-doing emphasis strong! Over the last several years, Cal Poly has experienced funding shortfalls that equate to approximately $25 million. An increase in the college-based fee would help us to minimize the negative impacts of having to cut faculty and course offerings in addition to taking other cost-cutting measures, such as increasing class size, and deferring lab maintenance and equipment acquisitions. What would this fee increase look like?
FALL 2009
Increase the college-based fee to $362 per quarter [current CBF $252] for all full-time students
Increase the college-based fee to $181 per quarter for all part-time students
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How do Cal
Poly Fees Compare with Other California
Public University Fees? Cal Poly's student fees are much less than tuition/fees at the University of California and also less than comparable out-of-state public institutions. |
|
| 2008-2009 Tuition/Fees | |
| Cal Poly San Luis Obispo | 5,043 |
| UC Irvine | 7,556 |
| UC Santa Cruz | 8,286 |
| UC Santa Barbara | 8,573 |
| UC Davis | 8,635 |
| UC San Diego | 8,911 |
| CSU Bakersfield | 4,077 |
| CSU Channel Islands | 3,598 |
| CSU Chico | 4,008 |
| CSU Fesno | 3,687 |
| CSU Humboldt | 4,139 |
| Cal Poly Pomona | 3,564 |
| CSU Sacramento | 3,854 |
| CSU Sonoma | 4,272 |
FALL 2010
fee would be increased an additional $100 per quarter for all full-time students ($50 per quarter for part-time students)
FALL 2011
fee would be increased an additional $100 per quarter for all full-time students ($50 per quarter for part-time students)
Is the University looking only to student fees as a way to support high-quality programs at Cal Poly? What about help from the State of California? What about help from the CSU?
The partnership to preserve excellence at Cal Poly includes the State of California, private donors, and students. The greatest contributor to the funding partnership is the State, or more accurately, the California taxpayers. However, the CSU is only State-assisted; there is a significant and growing funding gap between State support and the actual costs to educate a full-time CAFES student. Although the State recognizes the decline of public support to the CSU and also the higher costs associated with laboratory-intensive science and technology programs, the Legislature cannot appropriate additional funding in light of California's current fiscal crisis.
Why is none of the fee increase
designated for scholarships?
In the past, the Board of Trustees of the
California State University have required that
1/3 of the revenues resulting from a
university-wide student fee increase be set
aside for financial aid. The trustees dropped
this requirement from the 2002 and current
College Based Fee proposals because the fee
increase is college/department/program specific.
CAFES has made student scholarships a top priority. The yearly total dollar amount of CAFES scholarships exceeds $370,000. Additionally, CAFES students are eligible for many of the university scholarships available through the Financial Aid Office. CAFES students received more than $500,000 from both sources of support last year.
How Will New Fee Revenues Be Distributed?
In CAFES, the Dean will retain new college-based
fee revenues equal to any State budget cut to
the College. The remainder of new college-based
fees will be distributed to CAFES departments
per FTES headcount. Ongoing college-based fee
revenues will be allocated as before: 10%
holdback by Dean for College-wide priorities,
balance distributed per headcount to
departments.
Current College Based Fee Support for CAFES-wide priorities:
- Advising Resource Specialist (continuous since 2003)
- Computer Support Staff Position (continuous since 2002)
- MAP Center (continuous since 2002)
- Student Professional Development (continuous since 2003)
- Summer Courses (continuous since 2004)
- Special requests for equipment, other program support
Benefits Of The Fee Increase
Student learning and success are the
original and continuing purposes of Cal
Poly's college based fee and the exclusive
motivations for the proposed increase.
Examples of opportunities that will be made
possible with the fee include:
- Scheduling of classes needed to promote timely progress to graduation.
- Increased graduation rates with less time to graduation.
- Quality degree programs with uncommon learn by doing opportunities that characterize a Cal Poly education.
- Increased recruitment and retention of faculty members and corresponding student access to the faculty.
- Student-faculty research collaborations and project-based learning.
- Acquisition of sophisticated equipment and instrumentation.
In addition to these examples listed above, we fully anticipate that the student fee advisory committees may make recommendations that the revenues generated be used to fund new strategic college and campus initiatives that develop from the strategic plan (e.g., sustainability and inclusive excellence).
New Plan To Eliminate Barriers To Timely
Graduation
Cal Poly is committed to a plan that will allow
students entering in Fall 2009 to graduate in 4
or 5 years (depending on their degree program)
by ensuring that courses are offered that will
assist students' progress to degree. Students
will however need to commit to following their
curriculum requirements and completing courses
successfully. If followed, this approach will
reduce the time to graduation for most students,
resulting in significant educational cost
savings.
Impacts Of Not Raising The College-Based Fee
- Loss of faculty positions and primarily lecturers.
- Reduction in course offerings.
- Increase in class size.
- Reduction of student enterprise projects (e.g. jam, chocolate, livestock enterprises, etc.).
- Reduction of instructional equipment and supplies, etc.
- Loss of Teacher-in-Residence Program (Agricultural Education & Communication dept).
If The Fee Increase Passes
The colleges and administrative areas will need
to continue to operate with reduced costs since
the revenue from the fee increase will not
completely restore the shortfalls or fund the
loss of spending power due to inflation.
Recommendations on how new College-Based Fee revenues are to be allocated within each department/college will continue to be sought via the same student fee committee process as currently used.
