Technology Fee – Grant Proposal 2012
Guide sheet to utilizing the Technology Fee and explanation of scoring
Fee Definition and Authority
The Technology Fee (Tech Fee) is governed by Act no. 1450 of the regular session and is under supervision by each institution in higher education. This fee is considered a supplement to current funds allocated by the University and by grants. In June of 1997, the Nicholls State University Student Government Association voted unanimous approval for the assessment of a technology fee of $5.00 per credit hour, up to a maximum of $60.00 per semester, effective in the Fall 1997 semester. In a memorandum dated July 19, 1999, Mr. Bobby Jindal clarified fee expenditure guidelines that went into effect September 1, 1999. All technology fee requests must follow these guidelines.
Committee Makeup
Complying with guidelines issued by Mr. Jindal on July 19, 1999, the Student Technology Fee Committee is composed of 9 students and 8 faculty/staff members giving the students a majority. Student makeup is composed of the SGA President (or designee) and Vice President, 1 student from each college, for a total of 5, and 2 students at large appointed by the SGA President. The faculty/staff makeup is composed of 1 faculty member from each college, for a total of 5, 1 from the library, 1 from Student Affairs, and 1 from Student Life. The ex-officio members that do not have voting privileges include: The Director and other members of Academic Computing, and the Director of Instructional Technology.
Scoring of proposals
Points are given for each section and represent a weighted average. Sections with higher point totals indicate sections that are given greater consideration. Proposals are scored on a cumulative basis and are ranked by the total cumulative score. Those proposals ranking highest have the highest chance of being undertaken. The overall constraint is the amount of budget available for projects. In the event of a tie and only one project can be undertaken, the Tech Fee committee will determine who shall get funded.
Procedure for Funding
As per Mr. Jindal’s guidelines, Nicholls State University has instituted a Student Technology Fee Plan. Line items inserted into the fee plan are composed of proposals from university colleges, departments, and the students. The committee is first required to pass an overall budget that outlines the major categories of expenditures. In lieu of a Technical Review Committee, Academic Computing serves in this capacity and ranks the technical merit of each proposal and determines whether it fits into the overall plan for technology at Nicholls State University. If a proposal fits the description of technology, Academic Computing determines whether it is technically sound and whether human resources are available to implement and maintain all current production.
After the technical review is complete, the proposals are then submitted to the Student Technology Fee proposal sub-committee for consideration. The sub-committee scoring process usually takes place during March. The subcommittee makes their recommendations to the full committee where a vote is held to decide which proposals will get funded and for what amount. Upon approval by the committee, the proposal is inserted as a line item into the Student Technology Fee Plan. Normally in April, after the vote, the chairperson of the proposal will receive a letter stating the outcome of the proposal. Minutes of these meetings are kept, which detail the discussion and debates on specific items and of the budget.
Presentation
The selection committee may request the applicant to give a 5-minute presentation to further explain their proposal. You will be contacted by Ms. Kim Cheesebrough if you need to schedule a time for the presentation.
Routing Sheet
Applicants must fill out a routing sheet that has the following signatures:
• The department head
• The dean of the college
Proposal Package
The completed proposal request should be turned into the Administrative Assistant for Information Technology, Mrs. Kim Cheesebrough, in 156 Peltier Hall, by 2:00 PM on Friday, February 3, 2011. The completed request should be submitted in Microsoft Word format via email to kim.cheesebrough@nicholls.edu. Additional information should be included to document any quotes and/or sources of prices generated while working on the proposal, especially for specialty items.
Rewarding of Winning Proposals
The money to purchase items awarded is from the current fiscal year’s budget; all attempts will be made to purchase prior to June 30 purchasing deadline. However, projects funded should not anticipate delivery or completion prior to the start of the fall semester. Academic Computing will set up a priority and distribution schedule. Completing all projects prior to the beginning of the Fall semester is impossible, as this does not give the staff of Academic Computing the necessary time to order, set-up, and test the equipment along with other time sensitive jobs already scheduled during that time. If these items are needed in a sensitive time frame, please discuss with Academic Computing before the end of the Spring semester to determine if it would be possible to be added to the schedule.
Inventory of Awarded Items
Items purchased for funded proposals will become the responsibility of the department or college of the proposal. These items will be transferred to their inventory and any repairs after the end of the warranty period will be the responsibility of the department or college. However, these items funded with Student Technology Fees must continue to adhere to the State’s Technology Fee guidelines, as they must be accessible for student use and must not be placed in faculty or staff offices.