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**Excerpts from e-mails (January 2009)**
Two fonts have been used to distinguish writers’ contributions.
Paragraphs have been numbered to assist in identifying specific items during discussion at the
Senate Executive Committee meeting on January 26, 2009.
Prices of books and other items in the Campus Center
1. I am still concerned about the feeling that prices of books and other costs on campus
are too high. I looked at the links that John Murphy sent and saw that last year, UAS
gave grants of about $141,000 to various campus organizations. If we figured that
money was collected from approximately 6,000 students living on campus (paying for meal
plans, buying books, etc), then it's only about $24/person over the course of a year.
No matter how you chose the size of the audience from which the money comes, on a per
capita basis, it isn't a hugh sum, although it is still a tax.
2. The *amount itself doesn't match the *feelings that books are way too high, prices at
Cece's are too high, etc. etc. It suggests that although UAS is non-profit (beyond the
$141,000 that it returns to UA), some of the contracts UA has entered into are giving
large profits to the merchants (Wendy's, Barnes & Noble, etc etc). How would we ever
find that out? It would seem that the only thing UAS could control by contract would
be agreed-upon prices to charge for specific items or services, or the profit margin
allowed on books, etc.
3. The price of goods sold by UAS in the campus center is outrageous. Paying nearly twice as much for a box
of crackers as one pays in the local grocery store does not engender warm feelings towards the campus,
especially when a student is forced by the absence of alternative suppliers. Although some profits go
towards programming, I have yet to see an accounting of how much goes there vs the profit from
overcharging (is this something that the UAS board sees?), and how is the amount to be spent on
programming decided? Is it decided by those who pay the tax?
4. Posting texts on department web pages would be very useful. How to get profs to
actually do that is a problem. What counts as a "timely fashion"? In one instance, it
took a few months for a student to receive the book from an on-line seller. I sometimes
have not selected books that far in advance.
5. The UAlbany bookstore might be another problem. Does the contract with B&N prohibit the
University (not individual profs) from releasing booklists?
6. I've tried to get the UAlbany bookstore to forward my book orders to MaryJane. The
bookstore manager (Dixie Botts) has told me they would, but they never have. So, I
place my orders with MaryJane & they forward to the UA bookstore.
7. I believe some faculty place orders with MaryJane only. A while back, we received a
request from the UA bookstore that we place orders there so that students on financial
aid can use their SUNY-cards to pay. Is this reasonable?
8. While I'm of course in favor of facilitating our students saving money, there are also
disadvantages to ordering on the web. It takes time, returns are harder, and confusion
about which edition is being used is common. One student last semester got a mail order
stat book with the data disc missing, which took several weeks to straighten out.
Bargains are often available on superseded editions. I have had students who, for the
first several weeks of a semester, have told me they couldn't do homework because the
book they ordered on the web had not arrived (a problem that also happens when the book
store doesn't order enough copies - which is not necessarily its fault).
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9. … my understanding is that the Financial Aid Office holds on to anticipated aid until a decent time into
the semester (when the money “clears” so to speak). So, while a student may get awarded loans in excess
of tuition, room, board and fees (to cover books perhaps) they cannot access those funds in a timely
manner. If this is the case, UAS will loan the anticipated aid to students on their SUNY Card so that they
may buy books at the bookstore. This is a great service to students but it is entirely useless if the
bookstore does not have all the books that a student requires. If the bookstore does not get book lists in a
timely manner they cannot guarantee they will be able to get the books in time. Even worse, if a professor
simply doesn’t put in book lists at all, the bookstore has no way of knowing to get certain books. Of
course, the worst case (in my opinion) is when a professor REFUSES to submit book orders to the
bookstore on “principle”. We can debate profits, and packaging, but if the bookstore doesn’t know to
order books, students who rely on loan funds to purchase book simply cannot obtain those books in a
timely manner. In order to address the problem the bookstore has begun an incentive program for
departments.
10. I doubt that Barnes and Noble will refuse releasing book lists- in my experience the lists are published on
the UAlbany B&N website. I’ve used the website to find what books I need and shop around. It’s true
that sometimes online retailers take time to ship. Often, if the price difference is small, I will shop at the
bookstore and pay extra to know that I will have the book in time.
11. … the agreements that UAS has with Barnes and Noble, Coca-Cola, Canteen, SEFCU, etc. provide for
additional funds for things like student scholarship, and internships. UAS has the contracts with the
above mentioned companies who are trying to turn a profit. As part of their contracts, and an important
part of the bid process, the companies give money to the campus to improve the quality of life- which is
the mission of UAS to begin with.
UAS and University Governance
12. The UAS budget and proposed meal plan rates are reviewed annually by committees and
the entire board. Chartwells presents UAS with proposed rate increases based on their
increased food and overhead costs and Residential Life also proposes room rate
increases based on their cost increases. We try very hard to be sensitive to potential
tuition increases as we conduct these annual reviews. We have all been to the grocery
store so I don't have to tell you about the increased cost of food.
13. The activities of UAS and our governing board are defined in our bylaws and subject to
guidelines of system administration applied across the state and an agreement between
the University and UAS.
14. The Finance and Audit committee of UAS reviews progress reports of revenue and
expenditures of UAS by accounts e.g. banking, bookstore, vending, beverages, etc., etc.
during the year to monitor how effective out budget is and if we are true to form.
Several years ago we ran a barbershop and a computer store and they were losing
propositions so we did away with them. We continually review services and costs and
attempt to provide the best bang for our buck. I think our governing board does a
pretty good job working with UAS to improve services for our campus. One of the things
our Board tries not to do is micromanage UAS as they have very capable staff to run the
day to day operations and work with our Board on long range planning.
15. According to the faculty bylaws the University Senate is charged with overseeing elections of UAS board
members. In addition, according to the Charter, the University Life Council is charged with some
oversight of UAS. "X.9.4. The Council shall take under consideration and make recommendations
concerning the operations of the University Auxiliary Services, and other service providers." The
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communication between UAS and ULC has been less than perfect over the years. This seems like a good
time to renew the link.
16. I think the question of what ULC *controls in the process of setting prices on campus,
for example, is different than what we *learn of by getting a report. … ULC doesn't
control anything! There is no way for ULC to be involved in the operational management
of UAS beyond having representation on its Board of Directors. The Board develops
expertise and does oversee these matters in ways that the Senate cannot.
17. How many representatives of the faculty are supposed to be on UAS (currently there are four listed:
Carol Anderson, Tom Bessette, Richard Goldstein and John Murphy).
18. How long is the term of office? (Particularly important in attracting "new blood" willing to run!)
19. Are there term limits?
20. If there are term limits, for how many years have each of the current members served?
21. Are duties, term limits, eligibility, etc., written down in some bylaws or similar document? Jayne and I
could find nothing two years ago and I again drew a blank on the web. That would seem to be the sort of
thing UAS would put on their web page for the sake of openness, transparency, etc., as the University
Senate, Student Association, and Graduate Student Organization do.
22. On the UAS web page (http://www.albany.edu/uas/bod.html) there are fifteen members listed, of whom
four are labeled "Administration", six "Students" and one Alum. The same page lists five standing
committees. Assuming the committees have more than three members, on what basis are other members
selected?
23. Although the ULC section of the Senate Charter indeed states: "X.9.4. The Council shall take under
consideration and make recommendations concerning the operations of the University Auxiliary
Services, and other service providers.", what is the means whereby ULC and UAS communicate when
they have no members in common?
24. If the Senate is willing to amend its Charter accordingly, is the UAS board amenable
to an additional faculty member (again, within a total of 18 max) elected from ULC …?
25. UAS Board terms: While our board minutes do reflect elections/appointments of new board members
and officers when that occurs, they do NOT necessarily state whether elected members are appointed to a
1, 2 or 3 year term, which I believe is what has led to any real or perceived confusion about current
members' terms . . . clearly on a go-forward basis, we will want to ensure that the record reflects the
length of the term to be served when members are elected.
Excerpts from UAS Bylaws
Article II, Section 5
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Article II, Section 1
