The ASUO Programs Finance Committee heard five hours of budget proposals Monday night, granting some student groups increased funding and making severe cuts to others, such as a 41.33 percent budget decrease for the European Student Association.
Sara Henderson, an ASUO programs controller, said the determining factor in reducing ESA’s budget was the group’s lack of spending last year. PFC Chairwoman Kate Shull added that they decided to allocate only $318 to the group because the committee did not have accurate spending patterns with which to base their decision. She said in the previous year, there was an unpaid telephone expenditure reported by the group.
Dance Oregon, on the other hand, was one of the few groups that enjoyed a financial victory at their budget hearing. Brianne Groh and Lauren Bracey, two dancers representing the group, asked PFC to give money for the American College Dance Festival, a new expense on their budget.
In previous years, all of the group’s fundraising was invested in the dance festival, and Dance Oregon would accept cuts in other areas to raise the $200 it wanted for the event. The group managed to convince PFC of its financial need and was given the requested money, receiving a total budget of $3,116, a 10.96 percent increase. Some groups fought hard for more funding, even while privately acknowledging they didn’t expect to get it.

PFC denied the Associated Students for Historic Preservation’s petition for increased funding, appropriating a $1,090 budget to the group for 2003-04, a 15.3 percent decrease. President Carin Petersen, Secretary Heather Goodson and Treasurer Jessica Engeman acknowledged the group’s past difficulties, but argued ASHP is in the process of rebuilding and needs the expanded budget to continue improving the program.
However, PFC pointed out that in previous years the group has consistently left unspent money in its budget, sometimes failing to spend as much as $1,000. Engeman said she knew it was unlikely the group would be given the funding they asked for.
“We really need to get a strong footing and spend all of the money they’ve given us before asking for a substantial budget increase,” Engeman said.
Another group trying to restore its program, the American Institute of Architecture Students, was also turned down for increased funding requests at the meeting. AIAS asked for an extra $162 in their budget, but PFC was reluctant to increase the group’s funding because it fell apart two years ago and is now restoring its membership. The final budget for AIAS was $580, an 18.3 percent decrease. PFC At-Large James Tilford validated the committee’s decision to decrease AIAS’s funding and said the group failed to spend 44 percent of its budget last year.
“My concern is I see a lack of stability, and we have a responsibility to allocate money to groups that are fiscally responsible,” Tilford said.
PFC voted unanimously to follow the ASUO Executive Recommendation for the Criminal Law Association and allocated $550 for the group, a 3.5 percent decrease. PFC also amended the group’s mission statement to say the group is open to all University students, not just law students.
The Japanese Student Organization received a modest funding boost of $3,914, a 4.37 percent increase. The JSO budget hearing ran longer than the allotted half hour as the group and PFC tried to reconcile different ideas about how much money JSO needed for Japan Night. The Executive Recommendation was originally $1,720 for the event, but after extended discussion, PFC beefed up funding for Japan Night to $1,875.
PFC followed precedent in finalizing the 2003-04 budget for Kultura Pilipinas. PFC Programs Appointee Joy Nair said the group’s request for money to fund a camping trip was problematic because PFC frowned upon using student incidental fees to pay for socializing trips. That precedent prompted PFC to redirect finances toward paying for the group’s culture night instead. In the end, KP received a total of $2,529, an increase of 24.9 percent, Monday night’s largest budget increase.
PFC allocated $587 to the Arts and Administration Student Forum, a 3.77 percent decrease. The group was originally looking at a decrease of 7.8 percent, but was able to negotiate with PFC to limit the severity of their funding cut.
Two student groups did not attend their scheduled budget hearing with the PFC Monday night. The Asian-Pacific American Law Students Association had signed up for two meetings, and PFC voted to table their hearing for Jan. 14. The Hong Kong Student Association requested to reschedule its hearing for Jan. 30, when more members would be available to attend.