Funding for student groups allocated by SGA

After three and a half hour hearing, organizations receive budgeting

Kiel McLaughlin

Page 1 of 1

To read the Fall 2008 Budget Breakdown: Excel document click here

Each student at Towson University pays a $76 fee toward student groups. Friday afternoon at Cook Library, $138,451 was distributed to 58 student organizations as part of the Student Government Association's semesterly budgeting process.
The University's student-run television station WMJF received $33,484.90, the most of any student organization. SGA treasurer Bill Logan said the student government considers WMJF a University utility. Therefore, Logan said, the student organization that receives the highest funding is the Black Student Union with about $8,000.
The process begins in early March, Logan said, when SGA senators work with the student organizations they represent in creating an outline of a budget. Each budget is broken down into five divisions: activity, supplies, equipment, printing and advertising and travel. Logan said in the spring, the budget hearing goes more quickly because the SGA senators are more experienced in preparing the proposed budgets and the student organization treasurers are also more familiar with the process.
"I got the budgets together earlier in the week so everybody could look over them in advance, that way we can have all of the mistakes fixed in time for the hearing," Logan said. "I don't have an opportunity to edit a budget. I can give recommendations but it comes down to a senator actually making the changes."
In order to be budgeted, a student organization must meet the SGA requirements. The group must have an approved constitution, a minimum of 15 members and a clear mission. At the hearing, a budget must receive a majority vote from the Senate. Due to class and other obligations, all senators were not at the entire hearing, but for the majority of the session, there were at least 13 members present.
The SGA recently adopted a pilot program that will reevaluate the format of the budgeting process. Instead of holding long, semesterly hearings, student groups would prepare monthly budgets in order to streamline the process, Logan said.
"It's too drawn out and there is too much red tape in order to get a budget," he said. "It doesn't need to be this way. We can have smaller meetings with smaller groups and have an opportunity to ask specific questions and help with the preparation for specific events."

Page 1 of 1