Continuing to plow through budget hearings for more than 100 ASUO programs, the Programs Finance Committee checked several hearings off its list Tuesday night. It approved budgets for six groups, de-funded two others and tabled two more.
The PFC granted a 97 percent budget increase to the YWCA, partly to add more funds to the group’s programming.
“We’re constantly thinking of new ideas,” Executive Director Cathy Kozlowicz said. But “we don’t have a lot of money to do programs.”
Most of the increase, however, was to cover rising costs associated with the new stipend model being implemented this year.
Many students are paid monthly stipends for their work in ASUO groups, but in the past, amounts have differed among programs. Those amounts are now being standardized for all groups, which has meant higher pay for several positions.
The Student Senate’s budget also increased considerably because of the new stipend model, rising from $10,040 this year to $16,200 for next year.
In addition to the higher stipends, the senate decided to start paying senators for an extra month each year.
To help offset that increased cost, the senate discontinued funding for the summer senate because, Sen. Jennifer Greenough said, “we didn’t know how many people would be around doing their jobs.”
The PFC tabled the Journal of Environmental Law and Litigation’s budget because the group holds an outside bank account, which is against ASUO rules. The committee tabled Forensics for another reason: The controller responsible for providing an Executive recommendation failed to attend the hearing.
The Black Law Student Association and the House of Film did not appear for their respective hearings, forcing the PFC to de-fund both.