2008 Woodie Awards
Finance board funding surplus open to groups
Sean J. Jordan
Issue date: 10/9/07 Section: News
The Student Government's Finance Board may be facing a budget crisis.
A crisis of too many funds, that is.
Every semester, each SIUE student pays a fee with his or her tuition called a Student Welfare and Fitness, or SWAF, fee. The funds generated from this fee help to fund a variety of campus programs, including Student Government, student activities, student organizations and student publications, according to SIUE's explanation of fees on the university's Web site. The Student Government Finance Board oversees a subcategory called "Student Activities and Organizations," and makes recommendations to the Student Senate on whether requests for monies should be honored.
"There are many programs, services and facilities at SIUE that are supported by student fees," Steve Sperotto, director of the Kimmel Leadership Center and adviser to Student Government, said. "Each of these areas has a fee advisory board, and each year, the university reviews fees to see if they need to be increased, decreased or remain at their current level."
"Many student organizations make requests for funding for annual operations of their organizations, but do not come close to spending the money they are approved. In addition, we have fewer organizations submitting program funding requests."
As a result, Sperotto said, the finance board has a "cash carryover" that has created a surplus in the budget. The carryover can be corrected, Sperotto said, if more student organizations make use of the funds available to them.
But Finance Board Chair Meredith Burkart explained that it is not as simple as just asking for money.
"The 10-week deadline that students have to spend programming funds for fall is up," she said. "The only things that they're allowed to request money for now is for spring programs."
At the Finance Board meeting, Sperotto explained the process student organizations must go through to acquire funds for their events. Student organizations make requests through the Kimmel Leadership Center, which then must be reviewed and approved by the Finance Board at its bi-weekly meetings.
A crisis of too many funds, that is.
Every semester, each SIUE student pays a fee with his or her tuition called a Student Welfare and Fitness, or SWAF, fee. The funds generated from this fee help to fund a variety of campus programs, including Student Government, student activities, student organizations and student publications, according to SIUE's explanation of fees on the university's Web site. The Student Government Finance Board oversees a subcategory called "Student Activities and Organizations," and makes recommendations to the Student Senate on whether requests for monies should be honored.
"There are many programs, services and facilities at SIUE that are supported by student fees," Steve Sperotto, director of the Kimmel Leadership Center and adviser to Student Government, said. "Each of these areas has a fee advisory board, and each year, the university reviews fees to see if they need to be increased, decreased or remain at their current level."
"Many student organizations make requests for funding for annual operations of their organizations, but do not come close to spending the money they are approved. In addition, we have fewer organizations submitting program funding requests."
As a result, Sperotto said, the finance board has a "cash carryover" that has created a surplus in the budget. The carryover can be corrected, Sperotto said, if more student organizations make use of the funds available to them.
But Finance Board Chair Meredith Burkart explained that it is not as simple as just asking for money.
"The 10-week deadline that students have to spend programming funds for fall is up," she said. "The only things that they're allowed to request money for now is for spring programs."
At the Finance Board meeting, Sperotto explained the process student organizations must go through to acquire funds for their events. Student organizations make requests through the Kimmel Leadership Center, which then must be reviewed and approved by the Finance Board at its bi-weekly meetings.
Be the first to comment on this story