Student groups face budget decreases

Monday, August 3, 1998

Student groups face budget decreases

USAC: Offices granted average of 15 percent of requested base
funding

By Stefanie Wong

Daily Bruin Senior Staff

The Undergraduate Students Association Council (USAC) approved
the base budgets of 12 student government offices and commissions
and 17 student advocacy groups (SAGs) at a special council meeting
on Friday.

Thirty groups requested a total of over $1 million for their
base budgets, but the Budget Review Committee (BRC) only had
$157,000 to allocate – almost $26,000 less than last year.

The higher number of enrolled students this year and USAC’s
recent vote to decrease officer stipends should have provided more
money for the base budgets, but increases in administrative
overhead caused the loss.

Specifically, increases in funding to the Elections Board and
the hiring of a secretary for administrative and support services
took an additional $24,000 from the budget.

This resulted in decreases in all base budgets, except for the
president’s office and four SAGs. The five groups saw an average
increase of $550.

However, in the previous year, the president’s base budget was
cut over $3,000.

Because all the funding proposals could not be met, BRC members
are encouraging the offices, commissions and SAGs to co-program and
take advantage of outside funding sources.

"We’re directing organizations to other areas for funding that
they couldn’t get in their base budgets," said BRC Director Johnny
Nguyen.

On average, the groups received 15 percent of the amount that
they requested for their base budgets, which is the source of funds
for the groups’ most basic needs – office supplies, some
advertising and telephones, among other areas.

"It was hard to cut people’s budgets because what I would love
to do is stabilize (them)," Nguyen said. "But because of the
demands this year we needed to cut the budgets."

In cases where travel, transportation or other costs were
necessary for the existence of a group – such as the external vice
president, who works with entities in other states – the BRC
allocated money to that area.

In order to fairly distribute the money, the BRC established
guidelines which set maximum amounts that an office, commission or
SAG may receive in one area.

For example, any group may receive only $40 at most for postage,
and retreats are limited to $200.

Guidelines for program funding were not established by the BRC,
and money allocated in that category ranged from $0 to $4,450.

"(Groups) had to show that the programming that they wanted to
have was educational and enhanced social discussion," Nguyen said.
"If the program was social in nature, then we didn’t fund it."

Also, groups who proposed programs and events that have been
successful over the years received more programming funding than
others.

"We didn’t want to fund experimental programs," said P.J.
Gagajena, USAC internal vice president and BRC member. "We were on
a strict budget and we couldn’t give money to programs coming up
for the first time."

Money allocated for programming is provided for the minimal
operating cost of the program. General funding for specific
programs is received from other sources.

Also, groups whose primary funding source is not USAC were not
granted base budgets in the past.

"Money that would go to organizations that do receive
supplemental income could be better used to fund organizations who
do not receive money from other sources," Nguyen said.

Last year, the Rally Committee, Interfraternity Council (IFC)
and Panhellenic Council were denied base budget funds because they
received money from funding sources outside of USAC.

This summer, the Rally Committee was the only group denied money
– IFC failed to submit a funding request.

However, the BRC decided that the membership dues Panhellenic
received could not be considered a base budget, and the group
received $650 of the $23,964 requested.

"According to the Panhellenic Council’s proposal, it didn’t seem
like they receive that much money from their membership fees,"
Nguyen said

This is the first time base budget funds have been allocated to
them in nine years, according to Panhellenic Council President
Jennifer Drane.

"I think it’s a good start. It says a lot about this year’s
council willing to work with us," Drane said. "I feel like it’s a
step in the right direction."

With reports from Mason Stockstill, Daily Bruin Senior
Staff.