Homecoming Committee to return leftover money to USAC surplus fund
By Jillian Beck
Nov. 10, 2011 2:08 a.m.
About $4,100 of leftover funds from UCLA’s homecoming event two weeks ago will be returned to the undergraduate student government.
The Homecoming Committee was originally allocated $23,700 from the Undergraduate Students Association Council to begin planning the return of homecoming. The funding came from USAC surplus funds, or money left over from the previous USAC’s budget.
The total amount of the surplus can range anywhere from $200,000 to $400,000, said Roy Champawat, director of Ackerman Student Union.
While an estimate for total surplus funds will not be released until late November following an annual external audit, it is common for USAC to allocate up to a quarter of projected surplus to a variety of programs, Champawat said.
“Essentially, there aren’t any restrictions (on surplus funds),” Champawat said. “It’s within the judgment of the council.”
Even so, surplus funds are typically used to fund wide-scale programs for students, Champawat said.
In the past, USAC used surplus funds for communal office space renovations ($5,250), the Bruin meal voucher program ($10,890), Jazz Reggae Festival ($50,000) and BruINTENT ($5,000), a student-run program that helps homeless Bruins. BruINTENT is no longer active because of a lack of funding.
This year, USAC allotted $23,700 to Homecoming, $90,000 to Bruin Bash and $21,300 for textbook scholarships.
Student government funds set aside for Homecoming were supplemented by online donations from parents and alumni and Homecoming T-shirt sales, bringing in a total of $8,654, said Kelly Knickerbocker, a third-year political science student and executive director of the Homecoming Committee.
Knickerbocker said her committee worked to minimize costs whenever possible.
A majority of costs for the event went toward security guards, emergency medical services and facilities fees, all of which were required by the UCLA Events Office and the UCLA Fire Marshal, Knickerbocker said.
A Velcro wall and inflatables provided at the event were acquired through Entertainment Express, a company contracted by UCLA for BruinFest, Knickerbocker said. Costs for these items totaled $3,450, according to an invoice reviewed by the Daily Bruin.
Mainstay elements for the event, including tables, chairs, lighting and stage setup, were rented from Classic Party Rentals, a company contracted for various events including Parents’ Weekend and New Student Welcome. Total costs from Classic Party Rentals came in at $8,912.
Student organizations at the event supplied their own materials for activities and games, at no cost to USAC.
Associated Students UCLA provided food trucks at no cost to the committee, she said.
All remaining funds from Homecoming ”“ $4,173.22 ““ will be returned to the USAC surplus fund, Knickerbocker added.
Once USAC receives the final surplus total from Champawat later this month, it will decide how to reallocate remaining funds. Leftover funds will be filtered through a four-part formula detailed in ASUCLA Undergraduate Students Association bylaws.
Champawat said he will recommend a portion of surplus be set aside in a fund for unanticipated emergencies.
If any surplus still remains, 45 percent will go to the University Students Association Programming Fund, 12 percent to the Contingency Capital Items Fund and the rest to the University Students Association Contingency Fund.
Elizabeth Chapital, a first-year undeclared student, said she had high hopes for Homecoming but was disappointed. She added that she thinks the student government funds used could have gone to something more beneficial.
“My initial thought is it’s OK because (Homecoming) builds school pride and because it was such a large event,” said Juan Gonzalez, a fifth-year history student. “But at the same time with all the budget cuts, I just feel like (the money) could have gone to other resources.”
USAC President Emily Resnick said students upset by the amount of money funding Homecoming are unaware of the costs necessary to plan a large event. Knickerbocker added that the goal was not only to promote school pride but also to encourage alumni donations in the future.
“We didn’t want to just throw another playful event on campus. The real intention is more long-term,” Knickerbocker said. “There are plenty of alumni out there in positions to donate money, but they are just not very engaged in the school. This is the time we need that financial support.”
Resnick said a survey asking for student feedback about Homecoming has been posted on the USAC Facebook page, Twitter feed and USAC website.
“There are a lot of people at both extremes,” Resnick said. “We want to hear from everyone.”
It is ultimately up to next year’s student government whether Homecoming will be put on again, Resnick said.
