The Student Government Association revisited the tabled budget appeals from last week during Monday night's meeting.
The Ecology Club, whose spending records were not completely up to date as of last week, was allocated $350.
"Because they didn't come to the SHLI conference, and they didn't submit a budget, that's what I think is appropriate," Executive Board Treasurer Mark Buryk said.
The SGA voted in agreement with Buryk's recommendation. The treasurer's records show the club will have about $700 in rollover from the current academic year.
The African Student Association's budget appeal had to be discussed, due to financial records from this year reflecting a $500 deficit as of last Monday's meeting. At this week's meeting, the confusion was cleared up.
"They are not in the negative," Buryk said. "It was probably an order issue with me putting it in rather than with their spending." He recommended $300 for the club for the 2010-2011 academic year, $600 less than the $900 they were allocated at the end of last year.
"I think the jump from $900 to $300 is drastic," Education Senator Maura Kelly said. Many other senators agreed, and they voted to allocate $500 to the ASA for the coming year.
Three clubs came before the SGA to make budget appeals Monday night. First was the Organization of Physical Therapy Students. OPTS had not been allocated a budget because, like many other clubs making appeals, they had not attended the SHLI conference and/or did not submit a budget.
"They should be slightly penalized for the fact that they didn't attend the SHLI conference," Buryk said. The SGA chose to approve Buryk's $250 recommendation. The club has about $500 in their account that will roll over to next year.
Phi Alpha Delta, the pre-law academic fraternity and honor society, came before the SGA in tandem with the St. Thomas More Pre-Law Society. Both clubs requested $200.
Phi Alpha Delta, who did attend SHLI but did not submit a budget, was given no budget allocation as many senators thought the club lacked organization. The club has $380 in rollover for next year.
The St. Thomas Moore Pre-Law Society, a larger club that does not limit membership, was given $100 on top of the $239 they will have in rollover. The size of the club was a factor when senators were voting on their allocation.
"If we don't give them any money, that's more people who are being penalized," Parliamentarian Charli Strassman said.
The SGA also saw the swearing-in of next year's Chief-of-Staff, Jesse Beutell. Beutell has served as an ad-hoc and as a senator in past years.
The Senate is expected to have the same amount of funding as this year, which is just over $159,000. Of this amount more than $56,000 has already been allocated as budgets to clubs and organizations.
Programming budgets are the same as they were this year. The Finance Committee will have just over $32,000 for Fall 2010 programming, $38,000 for Spring 2011 programming, and $19,000 for co-sponsorships.
The remaining funding works as an operational budget, functioning to make sure senators have the supplies needed to run SGA, as well as the promotional budget for ad space in student publications.
It is expected that the SGA will receive this amount of funding, but Treasurer Buryk explained what would happen if the SGA were to be cut money for next year.
"If we got, say, a $20,000 cut, I would cut from the operational budget, co-sponsorships, and spring and fall programming. The direct allocations would remain as is."
SGA will vote upon next year's budget, traditionally presented at the group's last meeting, when the senate returns.
Katherine O'Brien can be reached at katherine.obrien@student.shu.edu.
