By Ben Macintosh
Sunday’s Student Council meeting saw the 2020-2021 operating budget passed (photo credits: Ben Macintosh)
The UPEISU set aside more than $10000 in the proposed 2020-2021 budget for the new wellness coordinator position.
On Sunday Council voted unanimously to approve the proposed budget, which will see the wellness coordinator earn a salary of $7210 and have an operational budget of $3000.
The budget outlines the operating revenue for the UPEISU at $1039000 and the operating expenses at $1039018. VPFA Keesha Ryan presented the budget to the UPEISU council.
The meeting was held via video chat, as social-distancing is highly encouraged due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.
Ryan said the wellness coordinator will be tasked with things like promoting Aspiria, hosting mental health events and promoting the wellbeing of the student population.
“The wellness operation budget of $3000 is for the wellness coordinator to use as fit, for their events or any funding they may want to give out to students in regards to any wellness ideas they may have,†she said.
The campaign budget for the VPSL was reduced from $7500 to $4000. Ryan said that money was allocated to the wellness operating budget as the wellness coordinator will be tackling the mental health and wellness events.
A salary of $4218 was established for the new Academic Coordinator position. Ryan said this
position will help focus on guiding students through the academic appeal process.
“This Academic Coordinator will be in charge of dealing with all academic grievances under the VPAX. This will be the primary go-to person to help students with their academic grievances.â€
The budget will also set aside $15750 for an assistant manager in the Fox and Crow, UPEI’s campus pub. This position would be full-time during the school year.
“This would be somebody whose main task would be basically an assistant manager that would focus on serving. They would be on the floor to help with lunch rushes,†Ryan said.
Ryan also presented the Fox and Crow financial reports to council for the months of January and February.
In January, The Fox and Crow saw a $12515.92 decrease in total revenue compared to January 2019, going from $48159.91 in 2019 to $35643.99 in 2020. Non-alcoholic beverage sales were down $103.36, food sales were down $2705.65 and liquor sales were down $9706.91.
Ryan said the decrease in liquor sales was because the Two Years Eve pub event was cancelled due to a storm.
Operating expenses in The Fox and Crow were down $18686.06 going from $34518.08 in 2019 to $15828.02 in 2020. The two main areas that decreased were wages, which went down by almost $5000 and equipment costs were down by almost $12000 because of the pub event cancellation.
With the lower operating expenses, The Fox and Crow made a profit of $536.80 which is up more than $6000 from january 2019.
In February, revenue in The Fox and Crow was up $6719.43 going from $24109.79 in 2019 to $30829.22 in 2020.
Ryan said one of the biggest changes was the increase of non-alcoholic beverage sales by $4630.90, going from $3258.19 in 2019 to $7889.09 in 2020.
“We’re really seeing students coming and getting their coffees at The Fox and Crow now.â€
Operating expenses went up by almost $700 in February 2020, going from $13954.62 to $14651.44.
In total, Fox and Crow lost $2041.88 less in February in 2020 then it did in 2019. In 2019, The Fox and Crow lost $3230.08 in February, while in 2020 it lost $1188.20.
The next council meeting will be via video chat on March 29 at 6 p.m.