Missouri State University - West Plains

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Capital Funds Guidelines

Section I - Introduction and Purpose

The Student Capital Projects Fund (hereafter referred to as the Fund) is a program initiated by the students of Missouri State University-WP and authorized by the Missouri State University Board of Governors. The purpose of the Fund is to provide an annual funding source for capital projects which have the potential to enhance the quality of life, and improve the level of service, to all students and members of the University community. The Student Capital Projects Commission has the authority to reject projects which are physically located in a single academic area or which primarily benefit a restricted group of students. In addition, the process of forming an idea into a viable proposal and submitting that proposal for consideration is intended to be a valuable educational experience for students as well as an opportunity for involvement in the betterment of their University.

Section II - Funding

The Student Capital Projects Fund is supported by a fee collected from each student enrolled at Missouri State University-WP at the rate of seven dollars and fifty cents per semester for the fall, spring, and summer semesters.

Section III - Financial Responsibility

The monies in the Student Capital Projects Fund shall be collected and maintained by the Missouri State University-WP Business Office. The Student Capital Projects Fund monies shall be considered as separate from other monies collected by the Business Office and shall be maintained as such.

Funds may be drawn or transferred from the Fund account in accordance with established University policy and procedure, and with the approval of the Dean of Student Services. Neither the Student Capital Projects Fund nor the Student Capital Projects Fund Commission may borrow money. The monies to fund a project must be collected before they can be appropriated to any project.

Section IV - The Student Capital Project Fund Commission

  1. Authorization and Purpose

  2. The Student Capital Projects Fund Commission (hereafter referred to as the Student Capital Projects Commission or the Commission) shall be established as an executive commission of the Student Government Association. The Commission shall administer the program as outlined in these guidelines.

  3. Membership

  4. The Student Capital Projects Commission shall consist of the following members:

    1. The SGA Vice President who shall serve as Chairperson
    2. Six students (any of whom may also be members of SGA)
    3. The SGA Advisor
    4. The Dean of Student Services
    5. The Director of Business Services
    6. A representative from the Faculty Senate

  5. Student Member Selection

  6. The student representatives shall be selected by the following procedure:

    The President of the Student Body shall solicit applicants for the student seats on the Student Capital Projects Commission starting no later than the first week of September each year. Applicants must be enrolled in at least six credit hours at Missouri State University-WP to be considered for appointment. Applications shall be accepted through the second week after the SGA representative election in September If an insufficient number of students apply, the president shall have the authority to submit additional names for appointment by SGA.

  7. Student Member Term of Office

  8. The student members' term of office shall begin upon their approval by SGA and end the following May concurrent with the capital funds election.

  9. Student Member Vacancies

  10. Vacancies in the student membership of the Student Capital Projects Commission shall be filled by soliciting student applications. If no applications are received, the SGA President may submit names for appointment by SGA.

Section V - Student Capital Projects Commission Duties and Responsibilities

  1. Chairperson's Responsibilities

  2. The SGA Vice President shall serve as Chairperson of the Student Capital Projects Commission and shall be responsible for the proper functioning of the Commission as outlined in this document, the submission of all Commission reports and the holding of all necessary meetings and hearings of the Commission. The Chairperson’s primary responsibility during meetings and hearings of the Commission shall be to moderate the proceedings.

    The Chairperson of the Student Capital Projects Commission shall name a Secretary from among the newly accepted student members of the Commission.

  3. Vice-Chairperson's Responsibilities

  4. The Vice-Chairperson shall assume the duties of the Chairperson in the absence of the Chairperson. In addition, the Vice Chairperson shall be responsible for publicizing all meetings and deadlines.

  5. Secretary's Responsibilities

  6. The Secretary of the Student Capital Projects Commission shall record minutes at each meeting of the Commission and maintain a file of those minutes in the Student Government Association office. In addition, a file of the minutes shall be maintained in the Office of Student Services and at the Garnett Library. The Secretary shall also be responsible for distributing the minutes of the last meeting to all Commission members no later than one week following the meeting.

  7. Meetings

  8. The Student Capital Projects Commission must meet at least once a month during the academic year.

  9. Quorum

  10. The Chairperson (or the Vice-Chairperson in the absence of the Chairperson), as well as at least three other student members and at least two non-student members or designees, must be present at all Student Capital Projects Commission meetings. If the group convenes after due notice has been given, and a quorum is not present, the meeting shall be adjourned.

  11. Voting

  12. Each member of the Student Capital Projects Commission, excluding the Chairperson, shall have one vote in the decisions of the Commission. The Chairperson shall vote only in the case of a tie.

  13. Commission Reports

    Reports from the Director of Business Services

    The Director of Business Services shall submit a written monthly report on the status of the Fund to the Director of Student Services. The Director of Student Services shall make it available to the Student Capital Projects Commission. The report must include the amount in the Fund, and any authorized encumbrances, and any change in that amount since the last such report. All expenditures must be itemized in the report detailing the purpose of the debit.

    Reports to SGA

    The Student Capital Projects Commission must report to SGA at least once a month during the academic year. The reports must include a summary of the Commission's activities, a list of all members present at any Commission meetings, the amount of money in the Student Capital Projects Fund and any changes in that amount.

Section VI Contingency Fund

A Student Capital Projects Student Projects Contingency Fund (Contingency Fund) shall be maintained. Each year, as of March 31, the Contingency Fund shall be established at a level of $10,000 through transfers to or from the Student Capital Projects Fund. Investment income earned from all Student Capital Projects Funds shall accumulate in the Contingency Fund. The Contingency Fund is to be used to meet potential cost overruns for projects that are in progress during the year. Any fees to be paid to architects for feasibility studies of projects should be paid from the Contingency Fund. No more than $500 may be utilized from the Contingency Fund without the approval of the Student Capital Projects Commission.

Section VII - Project Proposals

  1. Project Sponsors

  2. Proposals for expenditures from the Student Capital Projects Fund may be submitted only by students enrolled at Missouri State University-WP. The student(s) submitting each project shall be defined as the sponsor(s) of that project. All proposals must conform to the requirements outlined in this document.

  3. Proposal Guidelines

    1. Preliminary Research

    2. Students interested in submitting project proposals are encouraged to work with the Director of Business Services and the Dean of Student Services to determine the feasibility of their ideas, the compliance of those ideas with the University's master plan, and to help formulate preliminary cost estimates.

    3. Research Responsibility

    4. Project sponsors are responsible for the preparation of their proposals including the compilation of research information. The project sponsor(s) may use any resources legally available to them to aid their efforts. The source of all research information and the amount of information obtained from that source must be documented by the project sponsor(s). Since one of the purposes of the Student Capital Projects Fund is to provide an educational opportunity to students drafting proposals, the Commission may reject a proposal if it is able to establish that the project sponsor(s) were not primarily responsible for the preparation of the proposal and its research.

    5. Proposal Requirements

    6. Project Proposals must be written according to the following outline:

      1. Identification of project sponsor(s)
      2. Name(s) of project sponsor(s)
      3. Campus and permanent addresses and telephone numbers of project sponsor(s)
      4. Faculty/Staff advisor(s)
      5. Description of proposed project
      6. Alternative and/or additional uses
      7. Drawbacks and/or additional problems
      8. Necessary modifications to existing structures
        1. Electrical requirements
        2. Special furniture requirements
      9. Building modifications
        1. Additional changes necessary for adoption of the project
      10. Estimated cost of the project, including complete cost breakdown
      11. Provision of alternatives in order of preference
      12. Provision for any ongoing costs (i.e., maintenance, repairs, etc.)
      13. Estimated completion time
      14. Estimated life of project
      15. Justification–explanation of the benefits of the proposed project
      16. Written documentation from a University official clarifying that the proposed location of the object of the proposal is acceptable
      17. Any additional information or documentation, as necessary

    7. Availability of Funds

    8. Project proposals with an estimated cost greater than the amount of the uncommitted funds available in the Fund at the time of the April election cannot be accepted by the Student Capital Projects Commission.

    9. Ongoing Costs

    10. Proposals for projects which would entail future or ongoing costs if implemented must propose the means by which these costs shall be met. A proposal may provide for the University to assume any further financial responsibility for a project and acceptance of such a project proposal by the Board of Governors shall be construed as acceptance of that financial responsibility. However, written documentation from the appropriate University official stating which budget shall be utilized to cover such costs must be provided to the Commission.

    11. Proposal Submission Deadline

    12. Project proposals must be submitted to the Commission no later than the last day of classes during the fall semester. (This excludes finals week.) This deadline shall be announced in the same manner as all Commission meetings.

  4. Independence of Projects

  5. All projects must be funded entirely by the Fund, with the exception of any ongoing costs accepted by the University. The resources of the Fund may be appropriated only to student-sponsored projects approved by the Commission, the administration of the University, the Missouri State Board of Governors, and the student body through a student election and only by the procedures outlined in this document.

  6. Conflict of Interest

  7. No member of the Student Capital Projects Commission or SGA shall sponsor a project proposal or publicly support any one project proposal over another.

Section VIII - Process for Project Proposal Approval

  1. Solicitation of Project Proposals

  2. No member of the Student Capital Projects Commission or SGA shall sponsor a project proposal or publicly support any one project proposal over another.

  3. Student Capital Projects Commission Review and Modification of Proposals

  4. After receiving the projects, the Student Capital Projects Commission must review the projects and determine if all requirements have been met by the project sponsors. If any project proposal is unacceptable, but the Commission believes the proposal would be acceptable if modified, then the Commission may return the proposal to its sponsor(s) for modification. The modified proposal shall be submitted to the Commission during a time period of no more than two weeks following return to the sponsor(s).

  5. Submission of Project Proposals to the University Administration

  6. After their initial review, the Student Capital Projects Commission shall submit all acceptable project proposals to the Director of Business Services for further study. The Director of Business Services shall verify or adjust the cost estimate and determine the feasibility of each project. The Director shall incorporate a five percent cost overrun cushion into the cost estimates for all Student Capital Projects Fund proposals.

  7. Return of Reviewed Projects to the Student Capital Projects Commission

  8. The Business Office shall return all reviewed project proposals to the Student Capital Projects Commission no later than March 1, unless a delay is approved by a majority of the Commission. If the Commission approves a delay in the March 1 submission deadline, the Commission may revise subsequent deadlines as well.

  9. Student Capital Projects Commission Report to teh CHancelor of the University

  10. The Commission must submit a written report to the Chancellor of the University no later than the second week of March recommending up to ten project proposals for placement on the April ballot. The report must include the Commission's justification for recommending or rejecting each project and copies of the final project proposals. The report shall be posted on the official SGA bulletin board or other such place as designated by the SGA President.

  11. Public Hearing Prior to Rejection of Proposal

  12. The Commission shall hold at least one public hearing before eliminating any project proposal from the approval process. The sponsor of any project under consideration for disqualification or elimination must be given written notice of the hearing at least three days in advance. No proposal shall be rejected due to the absence of the proposal sponsor(s) resulting from lack of notification of meeting places or times.

  13. Approval of Recommended Proposals

  14. The Chancellor of the University must approve the Commission's recommendation before the recommended projects may be placed on the ballot. This approval should be announced to the Commission by April 1.

  15. Explanation for Rejection

  16. If a project is rejected by any element of the University administration; a written explanation shall accompany the rejection. The Student Capital Projects Commission shall forward a copy of this written explanation to the project sponsors.

  17. Project Proposal Elections

    1. General Requirements

    2. An SGA-administered Student Capital Projects Fund election shall be held each April in accordance with SGA election by-laws and in conjunction with SGA officer elections. Project proposals for the expenditure of Student Capital Projects Fund monies shall be voted upon by the student body at these elections.

    3. Eligibility of Voters

    4. All students enrolled at Missouri State University West Plains are eligible to vote.

    5. Ballot Requirements

    6. The general ballot shall include the projects listed in order of the first approval by the Commission. Additionally, a synopsis explaining each proposal shall be at the polling place. The cost of each proposal shall be listed, as well as the total amount of funds available for expenditure and an explanation of the priority funding mechanism to include the following: "Projects receiving a greater number of votes than the option to carry this year's funds over to next year will be implemented (if funds allow) and projects receiving fewer votes than this option will not be funded."

    7. Voting

    8. Each student enrolled at Missouri State University shall be permitted to vote for just one option during the elections.

  18. Board of Governors Approval of Project Proposals

  19. After the results of the final Student Capital Projects Fund election have been validated, the Chancellor of the University shall submit the winning proposals to the Board of Governors for approval at their next regularly scheduled meeting.

    Should the Board of Governors deny approval to any project, the Student Governor shall deliver a written explanation for the denial to the Chairperson of the Student Capital Projects Commission. The Chairperson shall promptly send a copy of the explanation to the student sponsor(s) of the proposal.

Section IX - Project Implementation

  1. Project Proposal Priority

  2. After approval by the Board of Governors, the project proposals shall be assigned a priority depending upon the number of votes each received in the final election. The project receiving the greatest number of votes shall be assigned the highest priority and the project receiving the least number of votes shall be assigned the lowest priority. No project receiving fewer votes than the non-expenditure option shall be funded.

  3. Implementation of Projects According to Priority Status

  4. Projects shall be implemented according to the priority status of each. Bids shall be taken and accepted in accordance with Missouri State University bidding procedures. No project may be implemented if enough funds do not exist in the Student Capital Project Fund (excluding the Contingency Fund) to cover the entire cost of the project.

  5. Proper and Timely Initiation of Projects

  6. Once the projects have been voted on, recommended by the Chancellor and approved by the Board of Governors, they are ready for initiation. Budgeted funds will be reserved for each project and implementation shall begin within 120 days of Board of Governors approval. A project is considered started upon the release of a purchase requisition or the awarding of a contract for work on that project. No project will be allowed to commit or spend for goods, services, or renovation, an amount in excess of the total funding ceiling approved. Failure to begin the project within the 120 days will void the approval and require that the process for requesting funds be reinstated in a subsequent year, unless an exception has been approved by the Student Capital Projects Commission.

  7. Project Revision and Cost Overruns

    1. Appropriation Deficiency Prior to Project Commencement

    2. In the event that no project bid is received for an amount less than or equal to the estimated cost of the project as appropriated by the student body and approved by the Board of Governors, the Student Capital Projects Commission must decide whether to modify the proposal to allow for adequate cost savings or to terminate the project due to inadequate funds. The Commission may elect to propose that SGA appropriate up to an additional $5000 from the Contingency Fund to allow commencement of the project. If these funds are not available in the Contingency Fund, they may be used from the Student Capital Projects Fund with the approval of the Commission and SGA.

    3. Non-Cost Project Revisions

    4. Changes may be implemented if they do not entail cost increases and if the Student Capital Projects Commission approves the changes. The Commission shall not approve changes that substantially alter the original intent or purpose of the project.

    5. Cost Overruns Due to Unforeseen Circumstances

    6. n the event that, due to extraordinary and unforeseen circumstances, the cost of completing a project exceeds the amount stipulated in the contract for completion of that project, and the contractor is not liable for those cost overruns, the Contingency Fund may be used to meet these additional costs. In the event that these additional costs are so great that the amount in the Contingency Fund is inadequate, the Student Capital Projects Commission shall recommend to SGA that the project be returned to a student vote unless the administration will cover the remaining costs of the project. The approval of SGA shall be required in order to return any project to a student vote.

Section X - Sunshine Rule

All meetings and hearings held by the Student Capital Projects Commission shall be open and announced at least one week in advance by posting the date, time and location of the meeting or hearing on the SGA bulletin board or such place designated by the Student Body President. All books and records of the Student Capital Projects Commission and the Student Capital Project Fund are open to the students of Missouri State University-West Plains.

Section XI - Project Sponsor Recognition

Whenever possible, a plaque shall be placed at or around the site of a completed project recognizing the student sponsor(s) of the project proposal and any other individual or group whose efforts were instrumental in completion of the project. The names appearing on the plaque shall be determined by the Student Capital Projects Commission and approved by SGA.

Section XII - Amendment of Guidelines

Amendments or changes to these guidelines, shall be ratified in the same manner as amendments to the SGA Constitution.

Section XIII - Ratification

These guidelines shall be fully ratified after passage by a two-thirds majority of the SGA seats filled, a majority of the votes cast in a student body referendum, and the approval of the Missouri State University Board of Governors.

Section XIV - Enabling Clause

These guidelines shall go into effect immediately following their adoption. These guidelines shall take precedence over all former Student Capital Projects Commission guidelines. These guidelines shall not be construed as retroactive. Any Commissioner in office at the time of adoption of these guidelines shall serve the remainder of the stated term of office in accordance with these guidelines.

Section XV - Authority

These guidelines are approved