For guidelines on the use of IRA funds, refer to Guidelines page or California Education Code 89230.
1. IRA Proposals:
A proposal requesting approval for funding from IRA funds must meet the following criteria:
a. "Instructionally related activities means those activities and laboratory experiences that are at least partially sponsored by an academic discipline or department and that are, in the judgment of the president of a particular campus, with the approval of the trustees, integrally related to its formal instructional offerings" (Education Code sect. 89230)
b. The IRA Committee must determine that the program is an essential educational experience or activity that aids and supplements the fundamental educational mission of the university. Any proposal should be consistent with the policies established by the Trustees, and Channel Islands IRA policies and procedures.
2. Application Process:
a. Proposals
i. Guidelines and application access is generated each academic year. The committee review and fund cycle occurs the prior academic year of the requested activity. Application instructions are located on page, Application for Funds.
ii. Following the deadlines for receipt of requests, the Committee shall review those requests, which are considered potential IRA programs/activities.
iii. Upon reviewing requests, the Committee will formulate recommendations through z-scoring and consideration of allocation of funds to approved programs/activities. Recommendations are submitted to the Provost for final review.
iv. Approved proposals by the Provost are submitted to the CFO for final budget approval. Funding notifications are tentatively scheduled to be announced in May.
v. IRA application process is competitive and funding is not guaranteed. Applicant may want to consider alternate sources of funding.
b. Emergency Request
i. Emergency requests are defined as those requests for support which are made on behalf of a program/activity requiring additional funds during the academic year, as contrasted to those requests submitted during the official budget process in the preceding academic year.
ii. Normally, emergency requests will not be considered unless circumstances have arisen which could not have been foreseen at the time of the normal budget procedure. It is assumed that those programs/activities receiving support during the normal budget process will plan a level of activity commensurate with annual funds provided.
iii. The requesting program shall initiate emergency requests by providing the staff of the Committee a program/activity justification and a specific budget request.
iv. Emergency Requests shall be reviewed by the Committee to determine whether or not the request is appropriate.
v. Granting Committee Chair authority to act on behalf of committee if emergency is appropriate for proposal to be considered. The Committee Chair may grant minor requests for previously-approved proposals up to 25% of the total award amount without a hearing.
vi. If a hearing is held, the Committee shall determine if the program/activity is approved and shall recommend an appropriate level of support.
3. Committee Framework
a. Committee Representation
i. The committee body is supported by (2) Faculty, (1) Staff, and up to (6) Students. The committee is appointed by the Vice President for Student Affairs in consultation with Student Government and Academic Senate. Committee representation is announced on page, Committee.
b. Appointment Terms
i. Faculty representation is recommended by Academic Senate. Vice President of Student Affairs appoints faculty for a two-year term with staggered appointments.
ii. Staff representation is recruited and appointed by Division of Student Affairs. Vice President of Student Affairs appoints staff member for a two-year term.
iii. Student representation is recruited and appointed by Division of Student Affairs. Vice President of Student Affairs appoints student members for a one-year term.
c. Committee Review & Funding Process
i. The committee scores each proposal with a rubric. The results are converted into z-scores and sorted by ranked recommendation. The committee analyzes results and provides ranked recommendation to the Provost.
ii. Expectation is the Provost will honor the committee's work and allocate awards based off ranked recommendations and funding allocation. Provost provides approved proposals to the CFO for final budget approval. Funding notifications are tentatively scheduled to be announced in May.
4. Administration
a. Academic Planning & Budgeting (APB) provides administration support for IRA Committee. APB administers schedule and workload, facilitates administrative platforms and processes, and manages student fee funds.
b. APB honors the committee role and reports recommendations to the Provost on behalf of the committee.
5. Recipient/Awardee Accountability
a. Funds provided by the IRA committee may only be used for the purposes described in your proposal. Substantial changes in the use of IRA funds require the prior approval of the committee. Unused fund balances will be returned to the IRA fund at the end of the fiscal year.
b. If a program plans to budget unexpended funds for a future need (beyond the June 30th fiscal year end), a description of the plan must be presented along with evidence to justify fund use for the specific need.
c. Programs shall expeditiously process all financial transactions so that a full accounting of all revenue and expenses is available for review. Programs/activity coordinators are responsible for managing within the allocated budget, project progression and IRA moneys shall not be used for any cost overruns. The awarded program is responsible for any project overages.