Ronald Fox may have to reduce the size of his United Nations simulation class or ask students to pay their own way to the National Model United Nations in New York City next semester because of a lack of funding.

The class competes each semester in either the National Model U.N. in New York or the American Model U.N. in Chicago, but the class for this semester used a lot of the funding that was allotted for the academic year.

Fox said he hopes the success his classes have had at the conferences will show that they are serious and will add to the academic legitimacy of the events.

In November’s competition in Chicago the class won five awards, including best delegate, while representing Brazil.

“I am extremely grateful for the funding that we receive from the university,” Fox said. “There were many schools in Chicago who have to do their own fundraising in order to participate in the competition, so we are lucky to receive the funding that we have.”

Fox said other schools at the competition often do not have to pay as much as students from Sacramento State because they are much closer and are able to drive. Sac State students have to fly, which adds to the cost.

The program is supported by Instructional Related Activities, as well as other grant programs on campus like Student Academic Development Grants and Student Education Leadership Grants.

“The problem we are having is that the class is becoming more popular, so we need money for more students,” Fox said. ” At the same time there are more groups on campus applying for the same money. We don’t want to gobble up too much of the pie that other people could also use.”

Fox also said that he does not want to ask students to pay for the trip because “students are already struggling to pay tuition, buy books, and pay bills. They don’t need an added expense. It just doesn’t seem fair to them.”

Heather Woodford, a student who participated this semester, said she would be willing to do fundraising if it meant that more students could participate.

Fox said he does not want students to miss out on the opportunity because of financial constraints, so he will begin looking into fundraising if that is what the students decide that they want to do. He said that it will be the first time since he started the program in 1977 that they will have to look for outside funding.

“We are hoping to raise funds via tax deductible donations from businesses in the community, grants through Sac State, and also other fundraisers, such as car washes, film nights and so on,” Woodford said.

The class will be taking a minimum of eight students and a maximum of 14 students during Spring semester. Fox said he has to research flight prices and add up the numbers before making a final decision as to how many students he will accept.

Acceptance in the class is very competitive and includes a personality profile by Professor Fox, who contacts student’s past professors to see what their study habits are and what level of teamwork they use. Once accepted students have to sign a three page contract including, among other things, the statement that they will make his class their top priority for the semester.

Despite the amount of work and dedication required for the class students often sign up for more than one semester. Woodford is waiting on consent from Fox to take the course again next semester and Fox said that nearly half of this semester’s class has applied for Spring.

Kristina Flores, a Sac State student who has taken the class three times, said “I really enjoy the class even though it is a lot of work at the beginning of the semester and it can at times overwhelm your other classwork.”

“This was by far the most amazing experience I’ve ever had working with a group of people. It really does break my heart that anyone who wants to go in the Spring would not have the chance to go.” Woodford said.