After intensive study of budgetary issues and the funding
processes for student groups, the undergraduate student government
Constitutional Review Committee has proposed changes they say will
streamline the funding application process and increase
accessibility to funding.
The proposed changes ““ which are scheduled to be voted on
Tuesday ““ would require that all funding board deliberations
take place in closed session to maintain the confidentiality of
individual voters on the funding committees.
“What we are closing is the deliberations so we can
protect the integrity of the entire funding body,” said
Anneli Villarin, chair of the Constitutional Review Committee.
“It eliminates the influence of people outside the committee
on the decisions of the groups.”
Villarin said closed sessions are not designed to keep
allocations secret but to foster transparency by preventing groups
or individuals from lobbying Budget Review and Finance Committee
officials.
Official records from funding hearings must be presented by the
Finance Committee chair or the Budget Review director to the
Undergraduate Students Association Council.
The only stipulation as to what these official records would
consist of is that they “will be created at a level of detail
appropriate to the magnitude of the funding or resources being
distributed,” according to the recommended amendments to the
Undergraduate Students Association bylaws.
“We explain how points were allocated, the criteria for
allocating points and basically our deliberation process,”
said Crystal Lee, Community Service commissioner and member of the
Constitutional Review Committee.
In addition to those changes, the former base budget
allocations, which provide for basic operation costs and stipends,
are recommended to be split into two separate funds ““ the
Student Government Operational Fund and the Student Organizations
Operational Fund.
Qualified student organizations registered with the Center for
Student Programming would apply for funds on a quarterly basis from
a pool of 80 percent of all funds set aside for this purpose,
approximately $150,000.
USAC offices would be allocated the remaining 20 percent of
these funds.
Councilmembers say they believe quarterly allocations allow
funds to be allotted more accurately, as groups had to previously
estimate their budget nearly a year before spring programs would
take place.
“It makes it a lot more fair for newer student groups. In
the summer they might not even be in existence, and they would
entirely miss out on that funding process,” Lee said.
“It is difficult for students to apply because
applications are during the summer, when students may be abroad or
out of the L.A. area,” said Jenny Wood, general
representative to the council.
Eligibility for funding is based on the fulfillment of
enumerated minimum criteria, including quality of the proposal,
demonstrated need and justification for funding.
Undergraduate Students Association bylaws stipulate that funds
must be equitably distributed and allocated only to groups that are
content and viewpoint neutral and university related.
Under the proposed amendments to the bylaws, student groups must
plan for programming in advance because no retroactive funding
would be approved.
While the council is not in the habit of funding programs
retroactively, it was not expressly prohibited.
A two-thirds vote is needed to pass the proposed bylaw
amendments.