The purse strings have been loosened.
After 14 hours of deliberation last weekend, the Student Government Associate allocations committee completed its proceeding, allocating about $40,000 to various campus organizations.
The meeting, which was presided over by SGA Vice President Bob Payne and Student Activities Director Chris Cameron, began last Friday evening and ended Saturday morning.
The deliberation consisted of three rounds.
The first round set aside organizations that made technical errors on forms and proposals; the second cut specific requests that did not meet SGA requirements for fundability; and the third consisted of “trimming the fat,” in which the committee reevaluated the necessity of finances for some organizations.
The second and third rounds hinged on factors such as the presence of alcohol at organizational events, which SGA considers inappropriate for funding.
The allocations proposal process depends almost entirely upon whether or not organizations filled the necessary forms out correctly. SGA holds pre-allocations meetings to instruct club representatives on how to properly apply for funds.
Organizational leaders also have a chance to plead their case before the allocations committee prior to the actual vote. Attendance at these meetings isn’t required but can help an organization’s chances when requesting finances, said Adam Kohler, political science junior and president of the College of Social Sciences.
For some campus organizations, large cuts weren’t a major problem this semester. Due to additional Spring II student fees, SGA had about $80,000 to distribute – $20,000 more than usual. The abundant funds available for distribution eased the allocations process.
“There weren’t any serious disagreements. We debated each proposal thoroughly and discussed the possibilities,” Payne said.
The allocated total of about $40,000 is slightly less than usual, Payne said. The remaining $40,000 will be distributed after the appeals process and used for other SGA objectives.
“Any money we don’t use for allocations this semester can be used for other things, like improvements to the Danna Center,” Payne said. The unused portion may also roll over to this year’s spring semester to compensate for the large amount available this fall.
In addition, organizations who were dissatisfied with amounts allocated and were able to correct errors and explain questionable requests to the committee will be eligible to file appeals.
“Allocations went much more smoothly than anticipated because we had an unusually large amount of money to give out,” Kohler said. “Through appeals we should be able to cater to everyone’s needs.”
Among those awarded the highest allocations were the Black Student Union, which received $6,507, the International Student Association, which received $4,388.17, and the Golf Association, which received $3,446.37.
The results of allocation appeals will be posted outside the SGA office by 8 a.m. Monday.
Maggie Calmes can be reached at [email protected].
