Editorial: Funding reallocation will benefit most
Issue date: 11/21/08 Section: Opinion
For the first time in years, the Student Executive Council (SEC) has voted to reallocate funding among member boards. Essentially, USG and the Class Officer Collective (COC) will experience an increase in funding next semester, while UPB and Media Board will experience a decrease in funding. Exact figures can be found in the box on page six.
Taking a critical look at the way money was previously allocated was essential. Over the past several years, the undergraduate student body has grown significantly in size; the pool of student activities fees now totals approximately $1 million every year. Previous allocations were resulting in significant rollovers for some boards while others were struggling with the funding they were given. We're glad that this year's SEC went through with the process that began last year.
We do, however, feel that the spring semester is an awkward time to activate the reallocation. For some groups, namely those in Media Board, a change in funding in the middle of the year means giving up planned projects or important conferences that would have helped immensely with the spring staff transition.
There are many positive aspects to the reallocation, of course. USG can always use more funding. In recent years, the board has been able to grant only 46 percent of funding requests from student organizations. Provided that the vast majority of the money is siphoned back into mass funding, we're happy with this change.
UPB has done a fantastic job of negotiating lower prices over the past several years, which, in addition to the increase in student enrollment, contributed to the board's massive rollover. This fact alone makes us wonder why we always heard that UPB couldn't afford the musical artists that the majority of students wanted to see in concert. Even so, UPB conducts itself effectively, and if the board had more money than it knew what to do with, it's only appropriate that funding be diverted to another group.
Taking a critical look at the way money was previously allocated was essential. Over the past several years, the undergraduate student body has grown significantly in size; the pool of student activities fees now totals approximately $1 million every year. Previous allocations were resulting in significant rollovers for some boards while others were struggling with the funding they were given. We're glad that this year's SEC went through with the process that began last year.
We do, however, feel that the spring semester is an awkward time to activate the reallocation. For some groups, namely those in Media Board, a change in funding in the middle of the year means giving up planned projects or important conferences that would have helped immensely with the spring staff transition.
There are many positive aspects to the reallocation, of course. USG can always use more funding. In recent years, the board has been able to grant only 46 percent of funding requests from student organizations. Provided that the vast majority of the money is siphoned back into mass funding, we're happy with this change.
UPB has done a fantastic job of negotiating lower prices over the past several years, which, in addition to the increase in student enrollment, contributed to the board's massive rollover. This fact alone makes us wonder why we always heard that UPB couldn't afford the musical artists that the majority of students wanted to see in concert. Even so, UPB conducts itself effectively, and if the board had more money than it knew what to do with, it's only appropriate that funding be diverted to another group.
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