User fees

[Thomas McNeil]

USER FEES at SUNY Fredonia

A couple years ago, when our budget crunch was the most severe, I became
aware of the user fee structure in place in our performing arts center.
In short, fees are charged to all non-academic users for the halls, equipment,
staffing, etc., required for each event. Non-academic (more accurately,
'non-curricular') users include student clubs, the Student Association, etc.,
as well as off-campus users.

I had several meetings with the arts center director and other administrators
proposing that piano use and service be added to the fee schedule. This was
done. That fee stream is now my primary source of piano maintenance revenue.
A fringe benefit is that the money is in an account administered by the
arts center director who never questions my purchase orders drawn on that
account. Essentially, I have comlete discretion, although his signature is
required on the P.O.s.

There are almost no 'outside users' of facilities under control of School of
 Music. The few there are, are usually guests of SOM, hence no fees to be
 realied here.

There are a number of other quasi-performance pianos on campus that are
outside my responsibility (Campus Center, Radio Station, Television
Studios, Dance Studios, etc.)  These are sometimes used for SOM functions,
or by SOM performers or ensembles.  In those cases, I service the pianos
gratis as a service to SOM.  In other cases, I decline and urge them to
contract with a vendor - who just happens to be my part-time assistant,
Laurel Rivers, RPT.  So, we keep pretty good control of these pianos after
all, and a little extra work comes her way.  (She also does tuning in the
dorms as a vendor.)
_________
  For busy people, there is no such thing as a convenient time for a
  vacation.  That being so, take a vacation exactly when you want to;
  and let the chips fall where they will, since chips are going to
  fall in any case.                     - Wm. F. Buckley, Sr.
_________

 Thomas McNeil                                  (716) 673-3247  voice
 SUNY Fredonia School of Music                  (716) 673-3397  FAX
 Fredonia, NY  14063

 E-mail:  McNeil@Fredonia.Bitnet   or   McNeil@A12T.cc.Fredonia.edu