In an all-day budget marathon, members of the students’
association board of directors met on Saturday to scrutinize the
organization’s financial plans for what is predicted to be a
tough 2004-2005.
It was the latest step in a long process for the Associated
Students of UCLA ““ the organization that manages Ackerman
Union, on-campus food and other campus business ““ in a quest
to determine how best to manage its funds next year.
Managers from the various divisions of ASUCLA presented their
projected budgets for the coming year and fielded questions and
criticism from board members.
No vote on the budget was taken, and many board members were
absent, but Interim Executive Director Bob Williams said the
meeting was still “very important” in discussing plans
for a year predicted to provide little chance for economic
growth.
The association is projected to have made a profit of $423,000
by the end of the 2003-2004 fiscal year in July, $200,000 more than
expected. But next year, ASUCLA just hopes to keep its numbers out
of the red.
One of the biggest focuses in the budget process is the
predicted decrease in enrollment next year.
Keith Schoen, director of retail stores on campus, said
ASUCLA’s shrinking customer base will make it more important
than ever to reach out to students to inform them about services
the association provides.
One suggestion was to target students living in residential
halls with Welcome Week events and promotions during zero week next
fall. Another was to go out on Bruin Walk and ask students what
they want to see from on-campus businesses.
Schoen also mentioned plans for a new store in the Wooden
Recreation Center which would sell sports drinks, hard-boiled eggs,
healthy sandwiches, and salads in an attempt to target the workout
crowd. It would be open beyond hours of normal UCLA stores to
coincide with Wooden Center hours.
Schoen said the new store has “very large potential”
and is tentatively planned to open by Labor Day weekend.
He also mentioned an off-campus venture at Mount St.
Mary’s College, a local Catholic college primarily for women.
The college has asked ASUCLA to help redesign and manage its
student union, a project that would provide additional jobs and
revenue for the association.
Some board members expressed concern that the
association’s management of the store was built into
Schoen’s budget even though the deal has not been finalized.
If it falls through, it would leave an $800,000 hole in the
budget.
But Schoen assured the board he was confident UCLA would get the
bid over competitors including USC.
The board members also saw a presentation from a UCLA
trademarking representative who described the appeal of the UCLA
name as a designer brand like Ralph Lauren or DKNY in overseas
markets.
The market for the UCLA logo is huge in Japan, and the
university is set to pursue untapped markets in China and South
America.
“It’s really nice to see a spot in ASUCLA that has a
chance to grow,” said Rich Delia, chief financial officer for
the association.
Jerry Mann, student union director, said much of the attention
right now is focused on revising the Food Service Master Plan, the
association’s long-term plan to revamp food service on
campus.
Mann also discussed issues facing the X-Cape Arcade on
Ackerman’s A-Level, saying while the pool tables do well
enough to break even, the aging arcade machines have been
struggling.
Williams suggested the possibility of turning the area into a
networked computer gaming center, using what he called the
“IM sports model.”
He said the association could hold gaming tournaments that would
pit gamers against one another in a social environment. ASUCLA
could charge an entry fee, and could use scoreboards and big-screen
televisions to attract patrons, he said.
Such events would provide a sense of community for students
while bringing in revenue for the association, Williams said.
After taking into account suggestions from board members about
their presentations, each division of ASUCLA will revise its budget
and prepare for the board’s May 23 meeting, during which
members will vote whether to pass the overall budget for next
year.
If it passes, the resulting budget will be sent to Chancellor
Albert Carnesale, and he will decide whether to approve it or send
it back for further revision.