STUDENT SENATE GUEST COLUMN

Headline: Student Senate Finance Committee: Creation of the Budget

By: Rachel Travis

[email protected]

Each year, more than $1.2 million is allocated to the Student Life Fund by Grand Valley State University to enhance the student life. Though large sums of this money is allocated to the Graduate Student Association, and the Academic Conference Fund, most of these funds are allocated to an undergraduate fund which is managed by the student senate finance committee.

The finance committee allocates this fund to student organizations on campus for event and travel expenses. These allocations are made through funding requests put in through OrgSync by student organizations. These funding requests are heard by the appropriations funding board and the cultural funding board. The appropriations funding board hears all funding requests for event and travel expenses, excluding cultural events. The cultural funding board hears all funding requests for cultural events.

In the spring of each year, the finance committee goes through a long budgeting process to determine how this undergraduate fund will be spent for the upcoming school year. Within the budget, specific categories and organizations will receive a fixed amount at the beginning of the school year that is monitored by that category or organization. Other categories within the budget instead are given a fixed amount at the beginning of the school year that is allocated by the finance committee through funding requests from student organizations.

To determine the financial need within each category, this year the finance committee has taken the due diligence to investigate each category. Over the past two months, the finance committee has met with organizations including Laker Traditions, President’s Ball, club sports, Spotlight, GVTV, Whale Radio, and the Lanthorn. In addition, the committee has investigated the spending by the Creation Station, OrgSync, media services, and the sustainability and community development initiative. Lastly, the committee has compiled year over year data from the past four years showing the spending by student organizations who have submitted funding requests.

After weeks of analyzing data, meeting with organizations, and debating allocations between categories, the Finance Committee finalized a budget that was brought to the Student Senate General Assembly on March 16. Throughout this budgeting process the finance committee has kept in mind the significant needs of club sports, media, and Spotlight. All three of these organizations are severely underfunded in comparison to their needs, and are due for a budget increase. The budget will be voted on and finalized by the student senate general assembly on Thursday, March 30.

To ensure funding is available to serve the needs of undergraduate students for years to come, the finance committee is continuously advocating for student organization funding for undergraduate students with administration at the university. Earlier this school year, a budget proposal for a $50,000 increase to the Student Life Fund was presented to administration. After being endorsed by the Student Life Fund Advisory Board, it was passed on to the university budgeting committee who will determine if the Student Life Fund will receive this budget increase. The final decision for this request will be made by the budgeting committee in July.