The ASUO Programs Finance Committee completed the second night of its annual budget process Tuesday, approving budgets for eight groups, denying one group any money for next year and tabling another group’s budget hearing indefinitely.
The seven-member committee allocates student incidental fee money to more than 100 ASUO Programs, which include international student groups, student government and other groups like the Oregon Marching Band.
Although the PFC has only concluded two nights of budget hearings they have allotted an average of 11 percent more.
The biggest budget increase of $132,950 was allocated to ASUO Legal Services. Director of ASUO Legal Services Ilona Koleszar said this additional money will be utilized to attract and retain law clerks with market-rate pay.
ASUO Student Senate President Peter Watts supported the PFC’s decision to increase the budget for the Asian Pacific American Law Student Association by $270.
“I think this group has been far more visible on campus this year,” Watts said.
Students of the Indian Subcontinent, a group newly recognized on campus by the ASUO, was allocated an increase of $4,759 in funding from the PFC to meet their budget requests. Members of SIS said they intend to increase fundraising for programming expenses. SIS President Shruti Shah said the group wants to increase cultural diversity on campus with the money they have been allocated.
“Since we are a new organization, I didn’t expect that [the PFC] would be so fair and understanding,” Shah said. “I was pleased with the way things turned out.”
In contrast to those groups who presented budget requests, the Pre-Veterinary Club failed to appear for the budget hearing. As a result, the PFC voted not to fund the group for next year.
The PFC tabled the budget hearing for the Chinese Students and Scholars Association until more information is gathered about CSSA’s account transactions.
Groups have five business days to appeal the budgets approved for them by the PFC. That process will commence after the initial PFC hearings have been completed.