The EMU Budget Committee voted unanimously Tuesday night to cut all funding for the Student Activities Resource Office but maintained funding for its former parent organization, the UO Cultural Forum.
Budget committee member Christa Shively said she wanted to end the “political B.S.” that plagues SARO so a new leadership program could start from a clean slate.
“I just don’t see a success story for this program in the EMU …We would have to give (SARO) $100,000 to make it successful and we don’t have that kind of money,” she said. “It’s a mediocre program that isn’t serving students.”
The SARO 2001-02 budget is $77,614. The program will be de-funded in 2002-03.
Committee member Andy Elliott said he had already spoken with student leaders and administrators who are interested in creating a new leadership program — one that could be funded from another source, such as from a grant or from the ASUO’s over-realized fund.
SARO coordinator Debra Martin’s contract ends in June 2002. EMU Director Dusty Miller said he doesn’t know at this point what will happen to her position, but said he plans to meet with her to discuss it.
Martin said she agreed with the board’s decision.
“I have a lot invested in this program and I’ve worked really hard to make it work,” she said. “But I have always been personally conflicted that it isn’t student-driven.”
SARO has been recognized as a distinct program by the EMU since splitting from the Cultural Forum two years ago.
The budget committee also voted on the 2002-03 Cultural Forum budget, setting it at $179,810 — a 10.8 percent increase.
Most of the increase came in transfers from the SARO to the Cultural Forum budget for an office manager position as well as other administrative expenses.
The Cultural Forum requested a monthly stipend increase from $150 to $225 for most of its student coordinator positions, but the committee voted 5-2 to keep the stipend at the current level.
SARO and the Cultural Forum originally presented budgets to the board Jan. 22, but the committee tabled both budgets because program coordinators presented budgets that differed from those submitted by EMU administrators.
EMU administrators and Cultural Forum coordinators submitted one budget Wednesday night, and the Cultural Forum presented a revised mission and goal statement to the board as well.
Budget committee members and EMU administrators had objected to the original statement submitted by the program, which had included the reinstatement of Cultural Forum program coordinator Linda Dievendorf as a goal.
The budget committee will submit the SARO and Cultural Forum budgets to the EMU Board for approval Feb. 6. Budgets can not be finalized without a vote by the board.
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