The ASUO Programs Finance Committee handed out funding increases to all eight eligible student groups appearing at Thursday night’s meeting despite repeated references to a “tight budget.”
Legal Services scored a substantial victory with its newly approved budget of $175,682, a 27.91 percent increase. The two representatives for the group defended their request with a flurry of arguments, including the issue of salary. The group, which offers legal aid to students in trouble with the Eugene Police Department, is composed of lawyers working for far less money than they would make off-campus, the representatives said.
The Office of Student Advocacy, which shares its office with Legal Services, also received a dramatic funding increase. PFC members, taking notice of its outstanding record of past spending, awarded the group a new budget of $130,903 for 2003-04, an increase of 22.80 percent.
Student Advocacy members said the “vital services” provided by the group warranted the budget hike.
“By advocating for individual students, we protect all students’ rights,” Student Advocacy Director Hilary Berkman said.
The International Resource Center’s hearing was the most controversial of the evening’s meetings. The group’s request to increase funding for the framing of exotic pieces of art was met with opposition from campus gadfly Bruce Miller, a retail business consultant and self-described “protector of student taxpayer money.”
“This room has no function of displaying artwork that involves
extra funds,” Miller said. “The cost of making display cases for statues and framing art are grossly wasteful.”
Seemingly undaunted by Miller’s comments, PFC proceeded to give the IRC a budget of $54,904, a 5.89 percent increase.
The Journal of Environmental Law and Litigation, a group that annually produces an environmental law journal used in courts and universities nationwide, received a budget of $7,979, an increase of 4.98 percent.
PFC awarded Campus Recycling for its history of careful spending with a new budget of $123,180, an 8.9 percent increase.
The Asian Pacific American Students Association saw its budget fall short of the funding it had proposed. PFC members passed a budget of $14,740 for the upcoming year, and while this is a 4.87 percent increase, the group had originally requested an 8.78 percent increase. A large portion of the budget request was related to an annual event APASU co-sponsors.
The Delta-Graduate Students Organization tasted victory at their budget hearing when PFC gave them a fresh start for the next school year after being zero-funded in 2002-03. PFC gave the group a new budget of $652, showing confidence in GSO’s potential.
“We’re looking to make a decision off past spending, and we feel this is a good start coming off last year’s zero-funding,” Nair said.
The Crisis Center received $19,784 for 2003-04, about half of their original budget request and an 8.51 budget increase.
Two other student groups were also scheduled to appear before PFC Thursday evening. The first group, Lane County Legal Aid to Stop Violence, failed to turn in necessary
paperwork before the ASUO deadline and was not officially recognized as a student group in time to be assigned a budget for next year. The second group, the Ba’hai Campus Association, will have to re-assess its mission and goals statement in order to receive a budget after questions arose regarding the group’s religious affiliation.