Student Senate allocations were held Sunday, Sept. 11, and clubs have officially been funded.
Allocations is the process through which all clubs and organizations on campus are funded. This process begins by the college using a portion of the student activities fee to fill a larger pool of funds. Then campus organizations are invited to the allocations session to give a brief description of their club, followed by their plans for the semester and why the club deserves funding. After these presentations are done, the senate decides how to distribute the funds from the pool to all the clubs. These sessions occur twice a year, but access is limited for any non-senate members. While anyone can be inside of the conference room during a club presentation, only the senate members can be in the room during discussion of where to allocate funds. During the closed-door part of the meeting the senate discussed the background of each club, and the merit behind funding the organizations based on both the presentation and other facts about the club.
This senate consists of at-large representatives, commuter representatives and dorm representatives. Also included are President Katy Pugh, chemistry professor Dr. Mark Armstrong and Vice President and Dean of Student Affairs Heidi Heinz, who both serve as advisers to the senate. The vote itself is entirely based on the senate’s decision with both Pugh and the advisors abstaining from the vote. As president, Pugh presides over the meetings, introduces the clubs and facilitates the discussions. The advisers’ main jobs are to answer any questions the senate may run into regarding whether or not they are allowed to fund a request.
The working funds for this semester were $18,000 in addition to money left over from the previous semester. Of these funds, the largest amount of money goes toward clubs such as Habitat for Humanity, although funds are given based on what the clubs ask for rather than the size of the club. If a club should run out of funds, a mini allocations session, or gift request, can take place to resupply the club. Furthermore, Student Senate will match whatever money a club makes via fundraiser up to a certain amount. The final portion of the pool goes into the emergency fund that the senate sets up at the beginning of the session.
When asked for advice for freshmen, Pugh suggested, “If you are confused just ask for help. Your club advisor, me or anyone on senate really.” Any of these people can help clear up questions about allocations or getting something funded whether it is a new club or an improvement on an existing organization.