Incidental fee funds landed in the hands of nine student groups at the ASUO Programs Finance Committee meeting Thursday night. The committee approved group budgets totaling $29,367 during the five-hour meeting.
The Criminal Law Association had its $550 budget approved by a vote of 3-1-3, despite PFC Sen. Mena
Ravassipour expressing concern that the group failed to spend any of its $300 food account last year.
“CLA rolled over all $300 for food last year, so how do we justify giving you $300 again?” she said. “I just don’t feel comfortable giving all $300.”
PFC Sen. Colin Andries disagreed, saying “There is new leadership to show that the group knows where it’s going.”
ASUO Finance Coordinator Mike Martell warned against using that as a precedent, since many student groups have new leadership each year.
The American Institute of Architecture Students received a $582 budget, a slight increase over last year.
“We are a growing group,” said Andres Mazry, president of AIAS. “The (AIAS) supplements the education that architecture students receive here.”
The Association of School Psychology Students, a new group of mostly doctoral students in the College of Education, received a $300 budget.
PFC awarded Kultura Pilipinas a $2,407 budget, a 4.8 percent decrease from last year.
Hawaii Club, a group founded in the 1970s to support Hawaiian students, won a $7,105 budget, a 16.1 percent increase over last year, though less than recommended by the ASUO Executive.
PFC postponed a decision on the International Law Student Association’s budget after ASUO President Maddy Melton expressed concern that students who want their own copy of the “Oregon Review of International Law,” which ILSA publishes, must pay for it in addition to funding the incidental fee, which is the funding source for student groups.
“Exec is in no way trying to defund ILSA,” ASUO Controller Sara Henderson said.
“I don’t think there’s really any harm in postponing a budget meeting to make sure you make a well-informed decision,” ASUO Student Senate President Ben Strawn said.
PFC approved a $4,089 budget for the Japanese Student Organization, a 1.3 percent increase over last year. The group hosts Japan Night and Sushi Night.
The Jewish Student Union received a $6,788 budget, a 5.9 percent increase over last year, and the European Student Association gained a 19.8 percent increase, to $381.
As the meeting wound down around 10 p.m., the American Advertising Federation/Ad Club received a $7,165 budget, a 3.9 percent increase.