The process of a group receiving money from the student incidental fee is not intentionally confusing, but there is nuance to the way it works, and since it starts up again in a few weeks, here’s a crash course to how the budget is created.
The process starts with benchmark hearings, where the four ASUO finance committees present their proposed growth for the next fiscal year to the ASUO Senate.
The four committees are the Department Finance Committee, Programs Finance Committee, Athletics and Contracts Finance Committee, and the EMU Board of Directors.
These initial benchmark hearings already happened, on Nov. 10 for the PFC and DFC, and Nov. 17 for the ACFC and EMU Board.
These first benchmarks are a guideline for how ASUO Senate wants to see the budgets increase.
Then, starting Jan. 3, 2011, each ASUO-funded program, department and contract goes individually to their respective committee to discuss their projected growth.
The hearing will typically feature the finance committee, ASUO finance coordinator Colleen Soles, ASUO accountant Lynn Giordano, or an ASUO controller and the party involved. They will read off a prepared presentation and the executive’s recommendation will be read, followed by a question and answer session, then finished with a committee vote.
When all the hearings take place, the ASUO Senate will vote again on each individual committee’s final benchmark which will be a percent increase or decrease.
Following Senate’s approval, the benchmark is sent to ASUO President Amelie Rousseau, University President Richard Lariviere and Oregon University System Chancellor George Pernsteiner.
Former ACFC chair Alex McCafferty said there has never been a case where any of those three did not pass along a benchmark that Senate passed, but it’s still an important part of the process.
“It’s just another instance of checks and balances,” McCafferty said.
McCafferty encouraged parties involved with theprocess this year.
“It’s a very time-consuming, intellectually demanding time of the year for senators and folks in the ASUO,” McCafferty said. “And I wish them the best of luck.”
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The ins and outs of program funding
Daily Emerald
November 28, 2010
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