Last fall, Student Government spent more than $120,000 on student organizations and programs, according to its inaugural fall 2015 joint spending report, released Feb. 17, which outlines spending from both the executive and legislative branches.
The report details every program and campus organization SG funded for the semester. Furthermore, it breaks down spending details from both the executive branch and the Senate.
This is the first extensive report published by SG outlining spending from both branches.
Since its funding comes from student fees, SG director of finance Wesley Davis said SG tries to reach out to a variety of organizations and programs to offer funding support.
Davis said the report serves as an easy outlet for students to see how SG uses their fees.
“As far as I am aware, this report is the first of its kind,” Davis said. “For convenience and transparency, I decided to compile all this information in order for the student body.”
The Senate’s spending stems from finance bills, which senators propose throughout the semester. After the bills pass through the Budgets and Appropriations Committee, they are brought to the Senate for a vote.
Last semester, the Senate spent more than $13,000 on finance bills. Initiatives included funding for student organizations not covered by the Organization Relief Fund or the Programming, Support and Initiatives Fund, $6,000 for providing free Scantrons, $500 for providing cell phone chargers in the Student Union and $3,000 for purchasing satsuma trees to plant around campus.
The executive branch’s spending is divided into three parts: executive initiatives, the PSIF committee and the ORF committee. PSIF and ORF orchestrated almost 75 percent of SG’s total spending, allocating approximately $85,000 to student organizations last semester.
PSIF funds events on or near campus for registered student organizations, and ORF provides transportation funding for student organizations. To qualify for either, an organization must fill out an application and request funding.
Silver Wings, a campus cadet organization with the ROTC, has received both PSIF and ORF funding in the past. Mass communication senior Lindsey Miller, who helped found the organization, said SG was a useful resource for the new organization.
“We requested funding from PSIF in order to host a mixer on the USS Kidd,” Miller said. “We were very excited to receive this funding, as a mixer of this type had not existed in our area in recent history.”
Tigers for Autism Awareness also received funding from SG last semester. President Estelle Sklar said SG funding helps organizations find money when donations from outside resources do not cover the costs of events.
“All of the previous presidents, myself included, love that the Student Government gives on-campus organizations the option to reach out to them for funding for an event,” Sklar said.
Although this document is the first of its kind, Davis said it will hopefully become an annual report. He hopes the report helps maintain a positive relationship between SG and the rest of the University.
“I felt the report is something that will greatly increase transparency between Student Government and the student body,” Davis said.