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ASG allocates $100,000 to RSOs
Gentry Lassiter
Issue date: 12/3/07 Section: News
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The Associated Student Government approved the appropriations bill Tuesday night in a unanimous vote, said the ASG Treasurer.
ASG allocated $110,518.80 to RSOs this fall, according to the October 2007 Funding Round spreadsheet.
"The Appropriations Committee of ASG oversees a budget of approximately $230,000 each year to allocate to various Registered Student Organizations. This is done through a series of funding rounds, of which there are three held for each academic year," according to the ASG Web site.
ASG received $405,247.99 worth of requests for funds from RSOs this funding round, said ASG Treasurer Dick Watkins. However, "it was the first time in the last four years that we had to re-review everyone's budget," he said.
The Appropriations Committee spent 36 hours over a period of three days deliberating the proposed budgets of RSOs, during which they had to decide what portions of budgets would not be funded by ASG, Watkins said.
During the first meeting of the Appropriations Committee, Watkins did not allow committee members to view the budgets, he said.
"I asked them what we should cut from the funding before they had a chance to look at the budgets so [the cuts] are not directed at one group," he said.
The Appropriations Committee defined several requirements for RSOs to receive funding, according to the ASG Web site. First, the committee decided it would not fund administrative costs, according to the Web site. ASG was originally going to fund administrative costs, but after reviews of the budget, the Appropriations Committee discovered it was about $35,000 over-budget, so it chose to cut administrative costs, Watkins said.
"We want people to be creative and think outside the box" when creating budgets, Watkins said.
"We look for things that will impact more than just the organization; we will not fund any events closed to people other than members," he said.
The Appropriations Committee is one of the most competitive and sought-after committees in ASG, and all members of ASG have an opportunity to make a speech to express their interest in Watkins said. "The only qualification is that they are a senator," Watkins said.
ASG allocated $110,518.80 to RSOs this fall, according to the October 2007 Funding Round spreadsheet.
"The Appropriations Committee of ASG oversees a budget of approximately $230,000 each year to allocate to various Registered Student Organizations. This is done through a series of funding rounds, of which there are three held for each academic year," according to the ASG Web site.
ASG received $405,247.99 worth of requests for funds from RSOs this funding round, said ASG Treasurer Dick Watkins. However, "it was the first time in the last four years that we had to re-review everyone's budget," he said.
The Appropriations Committee spent 36 hours over a period of three days deliberating the proposed budgets of RSOs, during which they had to decide what portions of budgets would not be funded by ASG, Watkins said.
During the first meeting of the Appropriations Committee, Watkins did not allow committee members to view the budgets, he said.
"I asked them what we should cut from the funding before they had a chance to look at the budgets so [the cuts] are not directed at one group," he said.
The Appropriations Committee defined several requirements for RSOs to receive funding, according to the ASG Web site. First, the committee decided it would not fund administrative costs, according to the Web site. ASG was originally going to fund administrative costs, but after reviews of the budget, the Appropriations Committee discovered it was about $35,000 over-budget, so it chose to cut administrative costs, Watkins said.
"We want people to be creative and think outside the box" when creating budgets, Watkins said.
"We look for things that will impact more than just the organization; we will not fund any events closed to people other than members," he said.
The Appropriations Committee is one of the most competitive and sought-after committees in ASG, and all members of ASG have an opportunity to make a speech to express their interest in Watkins said. "The only qualification is that they are a senator," Watkins said.
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