WIDB History Chapter 29

Gathering Financial Storm

Winter quarter began January 3, 1971. This was the first winter quarter for WIDB. There are certain cycles of the calendar at the university, and WIDB was encountering these for the first time. For example, March was the time to submit budget allocation requests for the next fiscal year. The budget and allocation process seemed to change every year, but it generally had elements of input from Student Government, Administration, Board of Trustees, and some media.

In the 1970's, there was a Finance Committee of the Student Senate that took applications and held hearings on allocations. Prior to 1971, the allocation process had its share of rancor and heated debate, but it was a well-oiled machine compared to later years. By 1971-2, the process had turned into a circus. Some organizations made requests for 20 times what they really wanted, so they could scream louder and louder when cut. Other organizations packed the hearings with uniformed supporters, who raised their fists in a not-so-implied threat when cutting their budget was discussed. Charges of racism, sexism, favoritism, and nepotism were commonplace.

The funds in question were student funds. At the time each student paid tuition, certain mandatory "fees" were added. The "SWRF" fee was discussed in an earlier chapter. The concept was that each fee created a fund that was supposed to be used for a limited purpose. That "limited purpose" often got "re-interpreted" by the administration when desirable for them.

Fees could add up to 25% over tuition. For example, in 1971, a full time undergraduate would pay about $129 per quarter in tuition, but an additional $32 in fees. Out of that $32, about $3.50 was for a "Student Activity Fee." There was over $370,000 in student activity fees expected in FY '72, and Student Government was supposed to allocate that amount. The funds would be for the period ending June 30, 1972.

Yet the process began in March of '71. This money was WIDB's lifeblood, because the station could not operate without it. So the budget process was critical to the maintenance, improvement and expansion of the station.

The budget was drafted in March, passed by the WIDB Board in April, submitted to the finance committee of the senate in early May, hearings in late May, submitted to the Student Senate in June, sent to the university president in late July, sent back to organizations for revised budgets in August, submitted to the Board of Trustees in September.

The whole idea of this process is to have the allocated funds in the organizations' accounts by July 1, the start of the fiscal year. Yet the process was not complete until well into fall. Part of the problem was student government, which was not able to finish its part until July. But the roots of that problem lie much deeper.

From the decision-makers' standpoint, the allocation process was far from easy. It required long hours and inevitably made enemies. Yet students willing to deal with this kept (at least some of) the power with students. If students wouldn't take the responsibility, the administration would step in (the theory went).

The decision-makers were essentially referees as organizations fought over the financial pie. It was a delicate task, and the decision-makers were trying to learn too. Once an equilibrium was reached, (and organizations were more trusting and less insecure about the process) things were far more efficient. Conversely, if the balance was disturbed, organizations stressed about survival increased aggression. Upsetting the equilibrium led to disputes, rancor and a more difficult and lengthy process.

In March, 1971, as Charlie and the staff prepared the first annual WIDB allocation request for a full year's operations, they had no way of knowing that competition would double and the administration would throw its wrench into the works.

In FY 71, 34 organizations applied for and received funds. In FY 72, 65 groups applied. 61 received funds. So there were a lot more hungry mouths to feed, a lot of new hungry mouths. These new organizations had worthy purposes that cried for funding. There was the Illinois Public Interest Research Group (IPIRG), student and consumer activists. There was the Mirror, which published professor and course evaluations, and became an invaluable student tool. There was the Student Tenants' Union, Zero Population Growth and Mobilization of Volunteer Effort (MOVE). These five new applicants received 12% of the total funds available. Four other applicants, Student Government, Student Government Activities Council (SGAC), the Daily Egyptian and Graduate Student Government soaked up another 38%. So WIDB was left to fight it out among the 56 applicants left for half of a rapidly shrinking pie ($185,000). It was no way to run a radio station.

If that wasn't enough, apparently in response to the riots the previous spring, as well as decisions to fund organizations they didn't like, the administration and Board of Trustees decided to give all student organizations and the entire allocation process a hard time. First, the administration decided that the Student Activity fee rate and collection formulas had to be changed. Although the fiscal year began July 1, this proposed change was announced in May but not submitted to the Board until August. This bombshell, which placed into doubt the dollar amount of the pie, completely blew away any equilibrium. It was launched after the allocation process began (timed suspiciously well to ensure disruption). Although announced a few months before, the administration delayed seeking Board approval of the new fee arrangement until the disrupted Student Government hammered out the 61 allocations. Then, to add the coup de grace, the Board decided to withhold 20% of all allocations because of confusion related to the new fee structure. So all organizations were reduced ANOTHER 20%!

The administration created confusion, purposefully delayed resolution of the confusion, and then used their own created confusion as an excuse to penalize and discourage students and their organizations. This was a new administrative hard line, which continued for several years. WIDB was "lucky" enough to be rearing its head just as this started. WIDB did not cause the riots, and, in 1971, was relatively low profile when it came to administration opponents. But because WIDB was a student organization, it was lumped into a category and process which involved WIDB's lifeblood, and WIDB's survival would soon be at stake. More about this later.