The ASUO Programs Finance Committee increased the 2004-05 budgets of seven of the eight student groups it heard from Friday night and doled out a total of $178,443.
The International Student Association appeared before PFC asking for an increase in funding for two of its events — the Friday coffee hours and International Night. The group requested an increase in funding for the coffee hours because ISA spends more money on this weekly event than it receives from PFC.
ISA also said that it deserves an increase in its budget even though the group had a $1,000 rollover in payroll and a $200 rollover in postage. The group explained that the reason for the high amount of unused money is that the co-directors from the previous year didn’t pick up some of their paychecks.
The committee voted to increase the group’s budget to $21,683, an 8 percent increase from the 2003-04 school year.
Land Air Water received a large budget increase from the committee, primarily because of the group’s high printing and duplication costs and the international speakers it brings to its annual environmental law conference.
Land Air Water said it was asking for a large increase in funding for the environmental law conference because for the past three years it has had to appeal to the ASUO Student Senate for as much as $4,000 to put on the conference.
PFC approved the group’s budget at $20,989, a 29.7 percent increase.
The only group that did not receive an increase at Friday’s meeting was the Disability Services Project. While PFC members were full of praise for this group and the work it does on campus to help disabled students, Disability Services Project said it did not need an increase and would not ask for one given the financial difficulties of the University.
Disability Services Project’s budget for 2004-05 was approved at $11,150, a 0 percent increase.
LGBTQA, which brought more than 20 supporters to its budget hearing, said it needed extra funding to put on its annual drag show and to take over UO Cultural Forum’s Boifest.
PFC approved the group’s budget at $13,983, a 5.3 percent increase.
The Community Internship Program received a budget of $16,567, an 11.1 percent increase.
Designated Driver Shuttle received a budget of $92,635, a 6.7 percent increase.
The Associated Students for Historic Preservation received a budget of $1,136, a 4.5 percent increase.
And a new group, the Center for the Advancement of Sustainable Living, received a start-up budget of $300.