The Student Government Association distributed hundreds of thousands of dollars of students’ money at their annual finance meeting on Wednesday, April 18. Over the course of nearly seven hours, senators hammered out what share of the student activity fee fund each of SLU’s charted student organizations will receive next year. Representatives of some CSOs were on hand to plead their group’s cause and argue for additional funding.
The CSO operating budgets that SGA authorized on Wednesday amounted to a total $649,856.23. These funds are derived from the student activity fee, which is $49 per semester for students who live on campus and $45 per semester for nonresidents. SGA is charged with distributing the money fairly among SLU’s more than 100 student groups.
The meeting was not all dollars and cents. At 7 p.m., the senate ceased debate and held a moment of silence in remembrance of the recent massacre at Virginia Tech. The moment of silence was timed to coincide with the beginning of the memorial service that Saint Louis University hosted at the College Church the same night.
CSO leaders and the SGA Finance Committee had met between March 28 and April 15 to determine next year’s funding allocations. At these meetings, each group presented an “asking” allotment amount, along with a projected budget. The Finance Committee then reviewed their requests and attempted to cut expenses that were unnecessary or violated CSO funding rules. They submitted their recommended allotments for the senate’s approval on Wednesday.
Senators unanimously voted to approve a substantial majority of the Finance Committee’s recommendations, totaling about $500,000, in a single omnibus bill at the beginning of the meeting. This measure included a grant of about $210,640 for the Student Activities Board and $150,200 for the Great Issues Committee. The bill also included $13,141.44 for SGA’s internal operating budget.
CSOs who were dissatisfied with the Finance Committee’s recommendations are allowed to appeal to the senate and ask for additional funding. Twenty-two groups chose to do so. The senate spent the remainder of the meeting considering their requests. Seventeen groups managed to convince the senate to grant them more money than the Finance Committee had originally recommended.
The biggest jump was for Otro Mar, a recently chartered group that is dedicated to creating documentary films promoting social justice. Otro Mar had at first asked for $25,139; the Finance Committee whittled this down to a $1,847 recommendation.
Otro Mar contended that it needed additional funding to buy new filming equipment. Their arguments persuaded the senate, who agreed to add $3,942 to their allocation, for a total of approximately $5,790.
The operating budgets that the senate passed on Wednesday are not final. CSOs will have a chance to appeal for more funds next week. In addition, any money that remains in CSO accounts at the end of the semester will “roll over” and be subtracted from the amount they receive next year.
Pingel said that he was satisfied with this year’s funding process.
“These are the fairest results we’ve had, at least in recent history. We’re able to focus on the issues at hand,” Pingel said.
Pingel said that this year’s funding meeting went more smoothly than usual, thanks in large part to the new online resources, which were developed by Senator Ben Corrado, a junior representing Parks College.
