Spring Break
RIC passes budget control legislation
Jessica Burk
Issue date: 2/20/08 Section: News
Residents' Interhall Congress passed a bill to encourage "healthy spending" in residence halls during its meeting Monday.
"The main goal is to regulate hall spending, help increase stability and to push halls that haven't spent enough," said Arthur Formanek, RIC treasurer, secretary and author of the bill.
The fiscal policy will focus to help residence halls spend their money on capital, health and environment programs, Formanek said.
"I really like it because it provides indirect regulation instead of saying 'spend your money on this.' It makes certain choices more appealing," Formanek said.
"We set short-term goals every year. We meet with the budget committee and present a Budget Committee report, with an outline on how well [what we are proposing] does or does not fit our goals. The fiscal policy is more long-term and provides indirect regulation to encourage Hall Senate to write bills that match our goals," he said.
"Right now, [hall Senates'] spending is all over the place. Hopefully, the fiscal policy will help remove a lot of that to reach our goal of [echologic] stability," Formanek said.
RIC wants to make sure the halls are spending money wisely and are actually spending it, said Johnny Biggs, RIC president. Some halls save their money and spend it all at the end of the year, he said.
"[The fiscal policy is] kinda revolutionary, because it's unlike anything RIC has done before," Biggs said.
One of the goals is to promote students' health, so if one of the residence halls wanted to sponsor flu shots for their residents, the fiscal policy would help with that, Biggs said.
"We think it would benefit the residents if we promote their health because it has a snowballing effect. If they are healthy, they can perform better in school. So, indirectly, we are helping with their grades," Formanek said.
Another RIC goal is to help with sustainability projects on campus.
"The main goal is to regulate hall spending, help increase stability and to push halls that haven't spent enough," said Arthur Formanek, RIC treasurer, secretary and author of the bill.
The fiscal policy will focus to help residence halls spend their money on capital, health and environment programs, Formanek said.
"I really like it because it provides indirect regulation instead of saying 'spend your money on this.' It makes certain choices more appealing," Formanek said.
"We set short-term goals every year. We meet with the budget committee and present a Budget Committee report, with an outline on how well [what we are proposing] does or does not fit our goals. The fiscal policy is more long-term and provides indirect regulation to encourage Hall Senate to write bills that match our goals," he said.
"Right now, [hall Senates'] spending is all over the place. Hopefully, the fiscal policy will help remove a lot of that to reach our goal of [echologic] stability," Formanek said.
RIC wants to make sure the halls are spending money wisely and are actually spending it, said Johnny Biggs, RIC president. Some halls save their money and spend it all at the end of the year, he said.
"[The fiscal policy is] kinda revolutionary, because it's unlike anything RIC has done before," Biggs said.
One of the goals is to promote students' health, so if one of the residence halls wanted to sponsor flu shots for their residents, the fiscal policy would help with that, Biggs said.
"We think it would benefit the residents if we promote their health because it has a snowballing effect. If they are healthy, they can perform better in school. So, indirectly, we are helping with their grades," Formanek said.
Another RIC goal is to help with sustainability projects on campus.
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