There has been rankling among student leaders about the limited funds available in the Student Government's Association's club account, the $175,000 fund from which the SGA draws money for events and initiatives. This is why the university and the SGA are instituting measures to regulate the money.
A Nov. 24 copy of the club account budget indicates that the SGA had allocated nearly 61 percent of the money in the club account, which used to fund student activities throughout the fall and spring semesters.
Part of the problem, according to SGA President Travis Robinson, is that not enough money has been devoted to the fund itself. Tuition has increased during the past six years; however, according to Robinson, the student activity fee - $50 for each full-time student - has not increased in that time. This is why the student activity fee will increase ten dollars. Robinson says the student government has not been able to keep up with inflation and rising prices. One example he gave is gas prices. This can be a problem, for example when the university needs to pay for the cost of transportation for guest lecturers.
"We need to keep up with the economy, as does any business," Robinson said.
Another way the university plans to remedy its financial problems is by increasing enrollment. The school plans to increase enrollment from approximately 10,000 to 12,000 students, by the year 2011, Robinson said. As enrollment increases, so will tuition revenue.
The SGA budget will also be subject to more checks and balances. According to Robinson, one such check will be that Vice President of Student Development, Dr. Martone,78 will have to approve certain funds transfers.
However, generally, Robinson believes the system which the SGA uses to regulate funds works well.
"We have been approving what needs to be approved and denying what needs to be denied." Robinson said and added that "the system has been working well with trial and error."
SOLUTIONS
There are other measures the SGA is considering which may help regulate the club account. At a Nov. 24 meeting of club presidents, Jessica Pepe, SGA executive vice president distributed a list of proposals that club presidents have submitted to the SGA Finance Committee for consideration. The committee consists of 13 members, who include the class treasurers and other SGA officers, who help to manage SGA finances by approving funds requests for clubs and voting on issues pertaining to the SGA budget.
The club presidents proposed the number of requests which the SGA legislature, a larger governing body, would have to approve. Requests for $5,000 or more must now be approved by the legislature, a larger SGA body, but funds requests under $5,000 may be approved by the smaller finance committee without approval from the legislature. The new measure would lower the amount which the legislature needs to approve.
Club presidents also recommended the SGA put a cap on the amount of funds which may be approved for any one event or cause. As the SGA constitution and financial guidelines are written, there are no set limits to the amount of funds that may be allocated to any club. As long as a fund request for an event or cause which is properly advertised, open to the entire university, and approved by two-thirds of the finance committee, or legislature members, depending on the amount of funds requested.
The president also recommended the university save money on food by using vendors other than Sodexo, the company contracted to cater all food at WPU events.
A summary of Sodexo purchase orders prepared by SGA Financial Advisor Don Bennett indicated that a little more than $22,728 or almost 13 percent of the club account had been allocated to food for club events and initiatives as of Nov. 24.
Club presidents also wanted to ensure that fees paid for security to staff events were reflective of the number of hours which the security personnel stayed at the events. Some complained that money clubs paid for security at their event was not reflective of the time the security stayed at events.
The list submitted to the finance committee suggested a portion of the club account be allocated to each semester. As it stands, the club account is an open pool of funds from which any club in good standing can request monies for an event or initiative which meets the standards set forth in the financial guidelines. The hope is this would prevent the situation the SGA is facing now whereby a disproportionate amount of funds were spent early in the year. Robinson does not approve this suggestion.
"I don't think that would create what we are trying to accomplish," he said. And like many, he expressed his concern about funding for future events and initiatives. "I'm worried about what we are doing next semester."
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