SGA Finance Board Meeting 9/16/08
Meeting called to order at 5:34pm
Roll
All members present
Pre-meeting discussion
Temporarily suspending policy for the Gospel Choir
Due to a miscommunication with the Finance Board, the Gospel Choir submitted their allocation request form only 9 days before planned event.
Debate as to whether or not temporary suspension of current policy would be appropriate, since new policy comes into effect October 1st
Since the allocation form violated both the old policy (14 days before event), and the new policy (15 days before event), the Finance Board decided not to grant the funds to the Gospel Choir.
Proposed changes to Legislation:
“And WHEREAS the student organization has been informed that it is bound by this legislation, to abide by any and all agreements reached with the finance board as conditions for receiving these funds.”
Potential revisions of proposed changes to legislation:
“bound by this legislation” considered too harsh.
Removal of “and” at the beginning
“Whereas the student organization has been informed that this grant of funds is based on its agreement to abide by any and all terms reached with the finance board.”
“…based on its agreement to abide by the conditions listed below”
Extra time before Jewish Student Union permits for post meeting discussion subjects.
Office hours
Reminder that all finance board members must schedule one office hour a week
Raffi Yousefian – Mondays 12pm-1pm
No other times were scheduled
Oracle Calendars
Reminder about calendars located on My UMBC, under dashboard.
Board Members should be sure to put their schedules up
Useful in helping plan events or emergency meetings.
First Year Ambassador Interviews
6 students apply
3 finance
3 senate
First Year Ambassadors do not have a vote, but are full members of the Finance board
Applications are still currently being reviewed
Should have new members in two weeks
Interviews scheduled Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, after 5pm and during free hour. Members of the finance board are allowed to attend
Discussion on dealing with organizations that violate agreements made with the finance board
Finance board limited to holding back funds that have been granted or preventing future funding
Issue should be taken up with student Organizations Committee first
Allocation Requests
Jewish Student Union
Event name: Chavalaz Roshashana hip-hop
Number of people expected: Between 100-200
Location: Out on the terrace
Questions/ Concerns
1. Is your organization running the DJ mixer?
Yes
2. How is organization advertising?
Commons, word of mouth
3. Is event free?
Yes
• Concern about group submitting allocations 14 days in advance. Reminder that As of October 1st, allocations must be submitted 15 days in advance.
• Concern that though event was stated to be free, the organization might not understand this as a condition – should be clearer about it in the future. This was followed by a rather long-winded debate about how to make it clear to student organizations that they are agreeing to terms set during the meeting with the Finance Board.
Decision: passed
Representatives in favor: 4
Representatives Opposed: 0
Representatives Abstaining: 1
Kinetic Sculpture Club
Event name: Team Building Workshop
Date: Changed from 9/27 to 10/4
Number of students expected
Location: Visionary Arts Museum
Questions/ Concerns
4. Is event open to all students, or just club members?
Anyone can come
• Not a lot of advertisement
• Location
• Suggestion to make a facebook group
• Actual event is held a week after indicated on allocation form
Decision: Passed
Representatives in favor: 4
Representatives against: 0
Representatives abstaining: 1
Gospel Choir
Event Name: iG-NITE
Decision: Funds Denied (see above), however SGA Finance board takes responsibly for the miscommunication, and will consider this when funding the Gospel Choir’s next event.
African Student Association
Event name: Cry for Help Ball 2008
Number of people expected: 350-400
Location: UC Ballroom
Questions/ Concerns
1. What country is featured this year?
Uganda
2. How will the event receive donations? Will the Association charge for refreshments?
No, food is free, - donations are voluntary. Will not charge students.
3. What are some of the issues in Uganda?
Child Soldering, kidnapping, lack of education. Working with an organization called “Books for Africa”
4. What is the contract for?
Trying to get a well-known person to speak at the event
5. Who are you bringing?
Famous Nigerian musician and political speaker.
6. Is $3000 the offer she made?
This is the amount she suggested for travel and room
7. How will UMBC students get tickets?
Students will use their red IDs at the door or pick up tickets from the commons
8. Will there be late charges for coming to event without tickets?
No
9. How is the event being advertised?
Sending out invites to various embassy and sponsorship letters, make use of flyers on campus
10. From where will food be provided?
Off campus. Didn’t have enough food last year
11. Talk to Invisible Children United?
Yes
12. Is the request for $250 just for flyers?
It will be use for other forms of advertisement
13. What kind of decorations will be at the event?
Flags of each country
14. What is the highest priority in funding?
The contract
15. Would you be able to pick a hotel for her? Maybe one that was less expensive?
The main cost is for the plane trip.
16. Is there someone you could get for cheaper, who lived closer?
Haven’t really looked into it, but she seems to be a very important figure in African politics, would help bring a crowd. $3,000 is better than expected. Can’t get her for any cheaper, would have to get someone else.
17. What does she do?
She is a musician and a speaker. She is the main speaker, but there will be others.
18. Do you think she’s essential to the event?
Yes. Some people are coming just to see her
19. Do you think that this will be The African Student Association’s biggest event for the year?
No Jambo Night will be bigger
20. How many people came last year?
About 350 – 100 more than expected
21. How much money did Cry For Help raise last year?
Almost $3,000
22. Who spoke last year?
Someone from the embassy (not specified)
23. Is your group buying the flags for decoration?
Yes
24. Are they reusable?
Yes
25. If the SGA denies the allocation request, will your group still hold this event?
Yes, though it will be difficult.
• Must keep in mind policy that half of these spots must be reserved for students, thus ability to bring in people from outside the campus is limited
Concern would be making sure UMBC students see the full benefit of money invested in event ($6,450). Would like to see as many UMBC students get in as possible.
• Make sure the event is geared towards UMBC students, not just people off campus
Is $6,000 invested worth the $3,000 raised?
• Potential possibility: If SGA does not fund the event, you can charge for students to get in
Decision: Passed
Representatives in favor: 4
Representatives opposed: 0
Representatives abstaining: 1
Go Club
Event name: UMBC Fall Go Tournament
No show, hold allocation form for next week?
Post meeting discussion
Continuation of aforementioned discussion
If a group says one thing in meeting and does another (e.g. charging for an event when they said they won’t or not advertising when they said they would) how to enforce punishment?
Not the finance boards position to distrust organizations
Finance board would consider dishonest actions in further allocations of said organization
Freezing their funds, referring them to student organization committee, penalizing them for future event
Risk future events being geared more towards people outside campus then on it
Some concern that African student association had charged late fees for students arriving at the door. Also concern that the group might not advertise on campus, so that reserved tickets for students would be used for off campus guests.
Heard that Ethiopian student association had charged for an event and said they didn’t. Issue of weather of not it was active deception. Not really looked into enough.
Keep in mind that SGA does do some advertising for big events automatically
Specific violations should be addressed on an individual basis
Stated in legislature that orgs would agree to all terms in meets
Further considerations for Legislation
“Conditions agreed to at the finance board meeting”, or adding, “including but not limited to, free admission”
Difference between budgetary policy (binding on everyone – including org) and budgetary statures (conditions under which SGA funds events)
Could insert details about charging admission into both and not change the legislation
Only change the policy, something along the lines of: you may not sue SGA money to create carry over money, or support events at which you are charging admission
Harsh volunteers to draft amendment
Question about names at the top of allocation forms.
The name on each form is the finance member who must contact the group with information about funding. Can reiterate conditions discussed during the meeting
What to do about orgs not coming to meetings.
Consider dropping organization if they miss two meetings
Roll call:
All members present except for Christine Paul
Departure time 6:44pm
7:38 meeting adjourned