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How Programs are Determined

Students are invited and encouraged to suggest programs for students funded by the Student Programs and Services Fee. The Division of Student Life encourages student involvement in the planning and execution of SPSF-funded events that the university presents.

About the process

  1. Review the SPSF restrictions on use to better understand if your idea fits within approved guidelines.
  2. Submit your idea through the program suggestion form.
  3. The Vice Chancellor for Student Life reviews program suggestion forms and develops a slate of programs based on signature events by Student Life offices, program suggestion submissions, programming interest survey results, and relevant and timely programming that supports the educational mission of the university.
  4. The Vice Chancellor presents this slate of programs to the Programming Student Advisory Board (PSAB) to receive feedback on the programming options developed by the Vice Chancellor.
  5. Using the feedback provided by the PSAB, the Vice Chancellor for Student Life finalizes which programs the Division of Student Life will organize and operate and notifies the applicable Student Life department tasked with executing the program, including an estimated allocation of budgeted resources.
  6. A department in the Division of Student Life develops a budget proposal for the slated program to submit to the Vice Chancellor for Student Life for final consideration.
  7. The Vice Chancellor for Student Life reviews the program budget proposal for final allocation approval.
  8. If approved, the department in the Division of Student Life plans and executes the event. The department is encouraged to contact interested students and applicable registered student organizations to seek assistance and input for the planning and execution of the event.

What factors are considered in the decision to fund a program with SPSF?

The Vice Chancellor for Student Life takes the following attributes into consideration:

  • Feedback from the Programming Student Advisory Board
  • Contribution to the educational mission of the university
  • Results from the Student Programming Interest Survey
  • Projected associated costs
  • Compliance with the Policy on Student Programming & Services Fee

What if my suggestion is not funded?

The Division of Student Life appreciates all suggestions for programs for students.

Please refer to the Student Programming Timeline to determine when Student Life offices will be notified of slated programs. Should a slated program related to your program idea be funded, the designated Student Life office will reach out to you and/or your student organization.

Student organizations have funding options outside SPSF to develop programming, and the university respects student organizations’ rights of free expression.

Please contact us at studentlife@utk.edu with additional questions related to your program suggestion.