A diverse assortment of student groups saw mixed results at the ASUO Programs Finance Committee meeting Thursday. Of the eight organizations appearing before the committee, three saw their funding cut for the 2003-04 school year, four received a funding increase in funding and one budget remained unchanged.
The Vietnamese Students Association was awarded the night’s largest budget increase, seeing their funding increase 17.06 percent from $6,178 to $7,232. The VSA cited increased program costs, such as bringing cultural events to Vietnamese youth in the Eugene-Springfield and Corvallis areas, as reasons for the larger budget.
With hearings only in their second week, PFC was cautious and meticulous with every group’s budget, closely examining even the smallest expenditures.
The Non-Traditional Students’ Union made a favorable impression on the committee, securing a 2.74 percent overall increase in funding.
At the center of the hearing was NSU’s desire to expand and its potential to recruit new members.
“(Non-traditional students) are definitely an underserved population because they are hard to identify,” said psychology major Steve Burns, a 41-year-old father of two.
The group offers scholastic help to its members, such as weekly Spanish tutorials conducted by Kate Workman, a graduate teaching fellow and NSU member.
PFC members emphasized that despite bumps in the road, the NSU is headed in the right direction.
“They’re definitely trying to improve as a group,” PFC senator seat No. 2 Alex Dietrich said.
The Outlaws, a group that focuses on gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender issues, also scored a major increase in funding.
The PFC approved a 2003-04 budget of $4,140 for the group, a 15.45 percent increase over this year’s $3,586.
A major reason for the increase was the Outlaws’ desire to send four people to the Lavender Legal Conference, a meeting held in New York City every year. The group cited this conference as vital to their networking efforts and to the efforts of homosexuals in the legal field.
“We really want more people to attend this conference. It’s a good opportunity to meet people in the field who are pushing the limits of law in gay and lesbian issues,” Outlaws Director Tiffany Rauch-Dickson said.
PFC compromised with the group, agreeing to pay for three members to attend the conference.
“The PFC has a duty to reward groups who have shown fiscal responsibility, and they certainly have done that,” PFC at-large member James Tilford said.
The Outlaws also referred to costs for payroll and programs, such as their “So You’re Gay and Want to Go to Law School?” informational session, as reasons for the requested budget increase.
Not all groups fared as well. The Malaysian Student Organization lost almost two-thirds of its funding, due mainly to the group’s failure to follow past budgets.
“We use the past spending the group has done over the last few years to predict how they might do for the next couple years,” Dietrich explained.
The group’s budget was almost completely cut when PFC executive appointee Mike Martell made a motion to remove all funding from the MSO. Only one group, the Singapore Students Association, has been zero-funded so far this year. But the PFC overruled his motion.
PFC members questioned MSO’s ability to maintain a set budget.
“As much as we hated to (decrease the group’s budget), it had to be cut because they hadn’t been spending most of their money in past years,” Dietrich said.
The Pocket Playhouse also fell victim to the PFC’s number crunch, suffering a 24.50 percent decrease in funding, from $2,371 to $1,790.
The group, described by co-tech Director Scott Thornton as a “producer of student-written, acted and directed plays,” receives money for such events as its yearly celebration of William Shakespeare’s birthday.
The Women’s Law Forum, represented by members of the Outlaws, saw their budget remain fairly consistent, losing just 0.86 percent of their past funding. WLF, which focuses on legal issues pertaining to women and women’s rights, is working to increase the enrollment of women in the University’s School of Law.
“We have been working to convince talented women to come and study here,” one WLF representative explained.
The Sports and Entertainment Law Forum met with a favorable decision, receiving an 8.67 percent budget increase. The main expenditure in SELF’s budget was an upcoming symposium the group organizes each year. This year’s event, scheduled to be held Feb. 21 and 22, will feature guest speakers, activities, and a concert at the WOW Hall.
“We expect about 1,000 people participating in those two days,” SELF Co-Director Krystal Noga said.
The United States Student Association also appeared before the committee, retaining its 2002-03 funding level of $1,100. The group helps students with financial aid, among other things.
Ben Fuchs is a freelance writer for the Emerald.