SABC allocates funds, resources to RSOs

     Every year students complain about the cost of student fees, including the activity fee. Ever wonder where those thousands of dollars generated from the activity fee go? Ever thought about who gets them? Ask the Student Activity Budgeting Committee.
     The SABC, composed of four voting members and the Student Government Association president as the chairman, is an advisory committee that allocates student activity fees to qualifying Recognized Student Organizations (RSO). All RSOs are eligible for the money.
     “If you’re not an RSO you can do a one-time request that comes out of the reserves,”  said Ryan Greene, Student Government Association senator and SABC member.
     Greene is the upcoming SGA president for the 2007-2008 school year. The current SGA president, Janessa Hartmann, appointed next year’s executive board, including Greene, to serve on the SABC.
     Student organizations seeking a chunk of the student fee pie come before the SABC and present why they are seeking a portion of the student activity fees.
     “Traditionally SABC has asked groups, whoever they are, to come in for roughly a 15-minute presentation,” said Dr. Paul Jahr, the director of University Housing and the committee’s faculty advisor. “It provides the SABC the opportunity to ask them any questions they may have and also provides the requesting organization the opportunity to explain why they’re asking for what they’re asking for.”
     Allocation of the fees is restricted to only those organizations that are non-selective to students and are open to the entire student body. This excludes fraternities, sororities and religious organizations.
     “In order to receive student fees, the program or organization needs to have open membership,” Jahr said.
     For an organization to receive money, it must be an organization that is reaching out to the entire student body.
     “Organizations that tend to be funded are providing programs and services to the entire campus,” Jahr said. “Now they may tend to attract certain populations, but those programs and services are available to all students.”
     The amount this year of anticipated revenue from student activity fees is a whopping $734,500. This amount is then divided according to percentages for various groups before any RSO receives funding. Off the top, five to eight percent is taken out for reserves. Salaries are also taken out, then 28 percent is given to Campus Life and Activities, which funds the Intramural program. Eight percent of that amount is then given to the Student Government Association. Finally the remaining amount is available to organizations.
     Organizations requesting funding this year include the Residence Hall Association, The Colonnade, The Peacock’s Feet, Black Student Alliance, G.I.V.E Center, International Club, Campus Activities Board, Art as an Agent for Change, Arts Unlimited and the Gay Straight Alliance. Student organizations that have been established longer than two years, continuous organizations, normally receive money according to Ryan Greene.
     “If you become an RSO this year, I think the amount of money you can get is substantially less than an RSO that has been here for a long time,” Greene said. “You just have to prove yourself.”
     However, under the current SGA president, Hartmann, student organizations will all be working with a clean, new slate with little emphasis on previous years’ awards.
     “This year Janessa said she wants to do it differently and people are just starting over,” Greene said. “It doesn’t seem fair that if you’re a new RSO that you shouldn’t get as much money.”
     The Centennial Center is also applying for money for their aerobics program in order for students to be able to attend for free.
     For more information about SABC and if your organization can next year request money from SABC, go to: http://www.gcsu.edu/studentlife/handbook/advisory.html and Find Student Activities Budgeting Committee.

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Apr 6 2007. Filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry