Associated Students Inc. has begun the budget process for next year and Peak Adventures Director Jael Young said she’s confident that the board will approve her program’s budget proposal.

Last year ASI targeted Peak Adventures as a program to receive major cuts because the board said the program was not bringing in enough revenue, but this year’s board has been working to strengthen internal programs.

Randy Morgan, ASI director of finance and administration, said Peak Adventures should not have the same problem this year when the budget is made in April.

“There is a totally different finance and budget committee this year,” Morgan said. “Last year was an anomaly because of the chair and should not be seen as indicative of how the budget works. Obviously last year they had a chip and they had an agenda, and Peak was in their scope.”

James Shelby, vice president of finance, said he has made internal programs the top priority this year in terms of the budget because those are the programs that give back to the organization.

“If we support those programs then we will have more money to fund other programs and grants that will help students,” he said.

He said money will be more equally distributed this year among programs like Peak Adventures “because the board has a better understanding of the importance of our internal programs than last year.”

Peak Adventures suffered this year because of the major cuts from last year, even though they did not receive the full cuts asked for by last year’s board, Young said.

The program lost two of its full-time employees, including the employee who had worked on its Web site updates. Peak Adventures has had minimal advertising for its outdoor trips in order to promote programs that bring in more revenue, like the challenge center and bike shop, Young said.

Hunter Merritt, programs manager, said the challenge center has been busy this year and has had strong revenue, which has helped keep the mid-year numbers high.

Young said Peak Adventures has worked this year to diversify its programs and become less reliant on ASI funds in order not to have to worry about its stability each year when the budget is formed.

She said that in the long run she hopes Peak Adventures will be a large part of the Recreation, Wellness and Events Center.

She said the RWEC committee has not yet approached her, but that Peak Adventures was very involved in helping get student approval for the center, and that recreation should be represented there by Peak Adventures.

Other projects that Young said she has been working on include a new rafting program, a summer youth camp and a marketing position.

Peak Adventures purchased rafting permits and gear from UC San Francisco at the beginning of this semester, after working with ASI last semester to obtain a loan and have the contract approved.

Merritt said, “We really want to get clubs and organizations involved, especially with rafting, so it will raise awareness about our programs.

“Our outdoor programs reduce the barrier between people and activities that they are unfamiliar with,” Merritt said. “The programs let people try new things and are a learning tool for those people who have always wanted to try something but don’t know where to start.”

Peak Adventures will begin marketing the new programs in the coming months, once it fills its part-time marketing specialist position.

Young said a portion of the $100,000 loaned to Peak Adventures by ASI for the rafting program was for marketing, which will make it possible to hire someone to help promote the program.

Young said with the budget distractions from last year, there has been a big lack of marketing.

“I feel a lot more confident about the budget than I did last year at this time,” Young said.