The Student Association met Monday night to begin examining different methods to provide funding for programming, reduce SA’s budget and discuss upcoming budget votes.

‘University Union has approached Student Association about some funding issues that they are having with annual funding,’ said SA president Travis Mason.

Parliamentarian Joan Gabel said University Union will hold a presentation at next week’s SA meeting regarding University Union’s funding.

Mason said he has met with over 20 students regarding funding issues.

‘When the budget season comes up, be aware that everything that we vote on has ramifications,’ Mason said. ‘Think about how the programming benefits affect the mentality of the students. … A lot of people are concerned of the processes of the budget process.’

Mason requested that assembly members investigate how other institutions provide funding for programming.

‘I really want you guys to look at these issues yourself,’ Mason said to the assembly.

SA executive vice president Eric Crites encouraged assembly members to speak about budget recommendations more often during assembly meetings.

‘Once these budgets come around you need to speak up,’ Crites said.

Mason disagreed.

‘I think you guys talk enough,’ Mason said.

Mason and chief of staff Harris Sokoloff told the assembly that they plan to reduce SA’s budget.

‘As a cabinet, we looked over this year’s budget, we looked into a bunch of things to take prices down as far as telephones,’ Mason said. ‘We’re looking at fixing our advertising so that we’re bringing our costs down and that we’re being efficient. … We’re looking into a bunch of other measures.’

Mason said in an interview following the meeting that he is planning on reducing the student organizations’ ‘outrageous’ phone bill. The phone bills of every student organization in Schine Student Center are included in SA’s budget. Sokoloff would not disclose the current cost of the monthly phone bill.

‘We can find another solution that’s a bit more inexpensive,’ Mason said.

Mason also proposed that SA select a Web designer to maintain the SA Web site. Travis said he and Sokoloff have so far been unsuccessful finding a possible SA Web designer.

‘Harris and I, we’ve been doing it all ourselves, so we’re looking into having somebody solely who will be doing those projects,’ Mason said. ‘It’s really hard for Harris and I looking for people. … We can’t find someone that can help us and devote to this project that’s not Harris or I.’

Mason also said he hopes to improve the efficiency of the finance board’s budgeting process by having student organizations submit their budget requests online.

‘We can have the whole budget process online,’ Mason said. ‘You’d be able to go online, save your form if you’re an org president or political agent – just fill the form out online and have it certified.’

In other SA news, the Student Organizational Council, which conducts meetings between representatives of student organizations on campus, has expanded to include not only Office of Greek Life and Experiential Learning student organizations, but also student organizations specific to individual colleges, religious organizations and fraternities, Crites said. The next SOC meeting will be on Saturday at 2 p.m. in Gifford Auditorium.

Published on April 3, 2005 at 12:00 pm