While the Malaysian Student Organization had the smallest budget on the ASUO Programs Finance Committee’s roster Monday night, they suffered the largest budget cut. On the other hand, some groups at the budget recall meeting, which was necessitated by a more than $500,000 accounting error in PFC’s budget, saw their budgets increase.
MSO’s cut of 37.2 percent to $191 came because PFC didn’t allot any money to activities for next year, as funds from the group’s previous years’ activities were recorded as going untouched.
“Last year, they were allotted $304 for activities but haven’t been shown to spend anything,” PFC member Erin Pursell said.
Among other cuts were Kultura Philipinas, with a 26.1 percent slide down to $2,025 for the 2002-2003 school year, and the Returning Students Association, with a 29.9 percent fall to $4,531. PFC also cut MEChA’s budget by 1 percent for the coming year. While some cuts were more drastic than others, this was seen as a necessary evil by PFC.
“It’s hard, but it’s something that has to be done,” PFC Chairwoman Mary Elizabeth Madden said. “We’re trying to be as fair as we can and minimize the impact on individual groups.”
Kultura Philipinas’ budget plummeted to $2,025, down 26.1 percent from this year’s totals. The hit was felt hardest in a $600 programming cut as a reflection of last year’s figures, where only $1,776 of the given $2,695 for programs were used. No KP members were present at the meeting to hear the decision.
The Muslim Student Association was the only group of the night that did not have a budget change. PFC looked at the budget and approved it as originally funded.
The impact on other groups was positive fiscally, as several organizations’ budgets were enlarged.
Upon written correspondence from Ecological Design Center co-director Joseph Snider, the PFC granted a group a 1 percent budget increase to $16,990. Funding stayed consistent with last year’s because as a new addition to the University, the group’s spending was difficult to project, Pursell said.
On a line item recall for the Hawaii Club Luau, the club saw its total budget rise 14.3 percent to $5,625. Of the total, $5,000 is designated specifically to the Luau.
RSA Director Patti Hachten spoke on behalf of her organization, which is dedicated to assisting non-traditional students in making the transition back to the college campus. Most RSA cuts came as a result of budget items that were felt by the PFC to currently unnecessary.
“I was going on spending and not intending to totally slash their budget,” Pursell said.
While the ASUO Executive saw a small shift in payroll assessment and student coordinators, overall the budget went up 2.8 percent for the coming year to $234,497. While the PFC cut several other organizations, their reasoning for increasing the student body budget was simple.
“They need a big budget because they use it all and then some,” PFC member Nadia Hasan said.
Speaking on behalf of the Interfraternity Council, President Kyle Knepper and Greek Life advisor and Assistant Director of Student Development Shelley Sutherland witnessed stipends and other line items change, as their budget rose to $9,711, up 4.8 percent.
The Japanese Student Organization saw a 16.3 percent increase to $3,750 for next year’s projected additions. This funding also targets the JSO’s annual events.
The last topic for the evening was MEChA’s recall.
“We feel recall is unfair and unjust,” MEChA internal director David Jaimes said initially of the 1 percent reduction to $16,376. However, as the meeting came to a close, PFC justified their actions by encouraging the organization to rely more on fundraising rather than simply being supplied with money.
“We just need to reduce,” programs appointee Joe Streckert said.
A Panhellenic Council appeal about their money transfers follows the PFC recall meeting tonight at 8:45 p.m.
E-mail community reporter Robin Weber at [email protected].