May 16, 2010

PSAC FINDINGS ON CACTUS CAFÉ STUDENT OPINIONS

Purpose

The purpose of this report is to communicate our findings on students’ current opinions on the Cactus Café.

Findings

Based on our understanding of the situation, there are two options on the table: 1) the KUT-operated model
and 2) the self-operated model.

From our understanding, the KUT-operated model will consist of the following points:
• The current name and space of the Cactus Café will be kept
• KUT will manage the Cactus Café on specified dates and the Union will not pay KUT a management
fee/KUT will not pay the Union and facility use fee
• KUT will be in charge of sustainable revenues seeing as they have had community support in efforts
to be commercially viable.

From our understanding, the self-operated model will consist of the following points:
• Current management will have the option of leaving the Cactus Café
• New personnel will be hired and positions will be expanded/created to be in charge of marketing,
growth and business plan success
• Likely strategies may include increasing ticket prices, social marketing, and cutting costs.

Our findings show that representatives of Student Government and councils in the Senate of College
Councils are concerned with the sustainability of the Cactus Café and are excited to help get it back on its feet
as soon as possible. An informal poll of Student Government representatives’ opinions was taken via email.
The responses yielded several themes, including that 1) the Cactus is important, but most students have
chosen to be unengaged in this issue, 2) the Cactus must become a self-sustaining, more student-focused
organization, and that 3) the decision process for future budget cuts must be evaluated. The Senate of College
Councils feels that a majority of their student constituents would prefer a hybrid KUT-operated model with
the Union running daytime activities because of KUT’s ability to yield sustainable revenues and commercial
viability in the short and long run. Furthermore, the self-operated option seems risky and may require upfront
capital investments that would result in further subsidization of the Cactus in the near, short-term future.

The Graduate Student Assembly’s surveying of its constituents has found that the graduate student
community is in favor of keeping the Cactus Café open in its current “spirit”. Graduate students form the
major group that utilizes Cactus cafe and its facilities. GSA is open to consider plans that ensure keeping the
cafe alive in its current 'spirit', but will refrain from taking a stance on a KUT proposal without
adequate presentation of the KUT plan and without adequate time to review a concrete KUT proposal. The
Graduate Student Assembly has concerns in agreeing with an ambiguous plan of a third party management
system without being provided concrete details regarding its operations or accountability.

Summary

1 Student Government Representatives and college councils are in support of pursuing the most
sustainable business model. GSA stands behind its sustained opinion that graduate students favor an
option to keep the “spirit of the Cactus” intact.
2 Students will be happy to see that the Cactus Café is not closing. As such, we should be precise in
showing that whichever option is chosen will be in line with “saving the Cactus Café” while increasing
efforts to promote its sustainability.
3 Moving forward, the university should continue to seek student input in the implementation of the
option that is chosen.