SGA Finance Board 9/23
Call to Order
5:34pm
Roll call
Harsh Bambawale
Yasmin Karimian
Christine Paul
Stefan Victor
Silva Yousefian (late 5:37pm)
Pre Meeting Discussion
How to inform members about requests in advance
Setup deadline, Monday at 2pm decided
Packets can be picked up at SGA office Monday or Tuesday morning.
Tabled events
If an org submits inaccurate quotes and is told to bring back new quotes, would they be required to fill out a new allocation form? Or would the Finance Board accept their form since they requested better quotes?
Harsh: suggestion that groups with inaccurate quotes must resubmit allocation forms for consideration. Currently the Finance Board uses the date the original request was submitted.
Issue would be orgs submitting ridiculous quotes just to make deadline, so that they have extra time.
Nayana: Is sometimes the case with orgs are not intentionally being lazy, but don’t know how to submit quotes correctly.
Harsh: Finance Board would feel obligated to fund them because we told them to come back later.
Nayana: The finance board does have the option to fail a group that has submitted incorrect quotes
James: No intent to trick the finance board. This is the point of 15 day deadline.
Harsh: Does the Finance board feel comfortable telling a tabled group we cant fund them, because there’s not enough time?
Yes, final decision.
Legislation numbers are incorrect for allocations
First Year Ambassadors
Harsh: 10 or 11 interviewed so far. 4 interviewed Wednesday, 4 on Friday
Emails being sent out regarding interview times.
New Student Ambassador
Nikodimos
Allocation Requests
Equestrian club
Horse Show
Questions/Issues:
Harsh: Where is the show?
Equestrian Club: Goucher. There is another show on October 25th, funds would probably cover both.
Yasmin: What kind of transportation?
EC: Cars
Yasmin: Is it for club members only?
EC: No, anyone can come. Advertisements on facebook and website.
Harsh: How many people are you taking?
EC: 15 members on team, and friends coming.
Harsh: Is it a competition?
EC: yes
David: How long has your group been participating I competitions?
EC: This is the first year
David: Previously all your events have been as spectators?
Silva: for hobby clubs we don’t usually fund competitions.
EC: Org. is aware of this and thus not including entry fees in the request
Money requested is mainly for transportation.
James: Is everyone who is going, or can go, competing?
EC: No
Stefan: All members required to go?
EC: Not all members are going to compete.
Tokunbo: How many cars?
EC: 4
Yasmin: Is the competition only open to girls?
EC: Anyone can go
Harsh: How are you advertising?
EC: Haven’t really thought about it, what would you recommend?
Harsh: SGA provides 100 free flyers.
EC: Group has used spotlight in the past with success
David: reminder that the SGA finance board does not fund competitions, though has funded fan buses in the past. Is this more of a fan bus than a competition, or competition more than a fan bus. Is this the way you want to spend your money given the amount you have in a year.
Christine: How many girls do you have competing?
EC: 4-7 out of 15 team members
Nayana: How many people are you bringing to this event?
EC: We want to take as many people as would like to go 15 plus anyone who would want to come
EC: Club has 40 to 50 members
Nayana: Would you need to come back for more money for additional cars?
EC: Yes
Yasmine: Do you compete to get on the team? Is it a club and a team?
EC: No, anyone can get on the team - levels of riding. It’s pretty easy to accommodate everyone
Harsh: Why are only 4 people competing?
EC: Only 16 horses available per class. There is a limit per school.
Christine: If you have 45 members, why are there only 15 that are part of the team?
EC: Members not interested in competing can just take lessons for fun
Preshow Party
Harsh: Tell us about the preshow party.
EC: Will be a party at October 3rd in harbor. Anyone can come. Will advertise on our website. Plan on having food.
Harsh: How many are coming?
EC: All the girls on the team, maybe about 20.
Harsh: Open to everyone?
EC: Yes
Stefan: Have you guys reserved a room yet?
EC: Currently working on it.
Stefan: RAs may have events there too.
David: Have the people competing in the horse show filled out liability wavers?
EC: Have their insurance through the farm.
EC: School also has insurance that faculty advisor worked out.
David: Might want to fill out liability wavers from UMBC as well.
Get through student life.
EC: UMBC signed initial membership form, which had some insurance on it.
David: fill out liability wavers as well, this is the way you warn individual participants of risk of injury.
Hispanic Latino Student Union 6:00
El Encuentro
Harsh: Tell us about your event.
Hispanic Latin Student Union: Third year celebration Hispanic characters month, presentations on current events. Food is free, mostly snacks. Open to all UMBC students.
Questions/Issues:
Harsh: How many expecting?
HLSU: Open, invited 50-70, no more than 40 can be in the room at one time, so the 70 people would come over a 3 hour period.
Harsh: How are you advertising?
HLSU: Through facebook and the myUMBC events calendar. Waiting for financial help through SGA for flyers.
Christine: Are you getting flyers thorough Common Vision?
HLSU: Yes.
Harsh: You can get 100 free flyers that SGA provides.
Harsh: Where did you get your equipment quota?
HLSU: From scheduling. Laptop, LCD and lecture hall sound.
Nayana: If you get the free flyers from the SGA will you still request the money for advertising?
HLSU: Will cut down the price to maybe $30
Yasmin: Submitted deadline 14 days in advance. After October 1st this is no longer allowed. Watch out for this next time you submit a request.
Harsh: What are the decorations for?
HLSU: Have committees going on – streamers that go with flag central South American Caribbean flag colors. Flags.
Election Extravaganza 6:06
Night of the Election – October 4th
Takes place in main street and commons
Game room, 2 inflatable, moon bounce jousting.
Masks
Food quote is safe estimate. If Chartwells quote it goes over 1500, will just have pizza and soda.
Advertising and decoration – trying to get a banner in the commons to advertise
Co sponsoring with SEB to get logo and debate watching parties
Through myUMBC facebook
Signs directing people to location of main event
Net on roof of commons with balloons
Facilities – quote for $250 for setup costs
Debate watching parties - first one on the 2nd in sports zone. Ice cream. Discussion afterwards. Voter registration for first two debates.
Questions/Issues:
James: Budget attached to legislation?
Masks might not be as much as listed. Food and advertising more realistic number.
Harsh: How many people?
7pm to 2am. 1000 people 4 years ago, expecting more this year.
Yasmin: Where is the debate event money coming from?
Executive project fund
Harsh: 1000 for masks? How much are masks?
Thinking of handing out masks before hand.
Nayana: What kind of food?
If Chartwells – pizza, nachos, wings, free coffee in flat Tuesdays
Deals throughout the day at stations to promote election
Vote:
Members for: 4
Members opposed:0
Members abstaing: 1
Pass
Continued discussion on equestrian club
Concerns:
Would create issues for other groups to argue funding for bringing along non-club members
James: Restriction not based on club, but organization
Status of club is in question
Yasmin: Still probably not the best way to spend $200. Especially since not a fan bus
James: Most of them not competing, answers question of whether or not finance could fund it – could. Point of the equestrian club to go and watch horse events – not that expensive for 15 students
Stefan: But only 7 competing
Yasmin: Talked about a faculty advisor going, and finance board does not fund anything for advisors. Goucher is not that far away, maybe $40 would be more reasonable
Not the finance boards issue to debate category of org (sport or no), should base decision off of current status
Erica: In future finance board may be the ones who catch orgs that are changing categories, or are changing and shouldn’t be and this may be the first way that SGA or student orgs committee will find out if group should be changing category. What responsibly of finance board is to let student orgs committee do their job.
6:21
Vietnamese Student Association
Pho Night
Cultural event – show Vietnamese culture
On campus at Susquehanna.
Questions:
Harsh: How many?
Vietnamese Student Association: 70-100
Harsh: advertising?
VSA: flyers.
Harsh: Will you put up advertisements on calendar or spotlight?
VSA: Yes, also on facebook.
Harsh: Free to UMBC students?
VSA: Yes
VSA Banquet
People from on and off campus
Food dancing, fundraiser for medical care, optional donations
Charging for off campus guests
Off campus location
Questions/Issues:
Harsh: Free to UMBC students?
Silva: Why is it so expensive for food and tables?
VSA: $150 per table and requesting 30 tables. Only requesting half that much (for UMBC students)
Harsh: how many UMBC students are you expecting?
VSA: 7-8 tables reserved for UMBC students.
Tokunbo: If UMBC weren’t to fund it, how much would it cost per person?
VSA: $20-25 per person
Tokunbo: Donations will be included in the entrance fee?
VSA: Yes
Tokunbo: what is the latest date you have to book these 300 seats?
VSA: Have reserved them since summer
Tokunbo: Cant change the number of people?
VSA: No
Stefan: Are UMBC students still participating on other events (such as the raffle)?
VSA: Yes
Nayana: Issue with being able to contribute sate money to a charity
Erica: question is if what your providing is going directly to charity, or to student use
Harsh: Not directly funding the charity.
Tokunbo: How much does total event cost?
VSA: About 6000
Harsh: How will students get there?
VSA: Drive themselves
Harsh: How advertising?
VSA: Facebook group. Flyers
Silva: How far is location from campus?
VSA: About 40min to an hour drive
Silva: How many people showed up last year?
VSA: Full capacity
Harsh: How many were students?
VSA: 4th to a half
Are tickets purchased all the tickets used for events?
Harsh: Are tickets funds requested ones for UMBC students?
VSA: Yes
Common ground 6:34pm
Midnight Madness
Common ground is a dance group to teach UMBC students different styles of dance.
3 years old
Free classes to all UMBC students every Monday
team goes around country representing UMBC
Harsh: tell us about event.
Common Ground: open to all students
Questions/Issues:
James: what are props?
CG: cardboard cutouts, depends on theme. Idea this year for big comfy couch theme.
Yasmin: Are uniforms reusable? Will they stay within the club?
CG: Yes. Will use in other events
Silva: Will you perform at Halloween fest?
CG: Yes
Erica: You do competitions, would you use uniforms for these?
CG: Yes
Stefan: How many uniforms?
CG: About 40 performers. Try to cap at 20 performers.
Harsh: Is club open to everyone?
CG: Auditions held for dance team, but club is open to everyone.
Harsh: Uniform restricted to people who perform?
CG: Yes
Nayana: For performing arts groups events have to be open to entire campus
Tokunbo: Seem like involved in campus
Neither go club or musical theater are present yet, so decision vote on Vietnamese student association
Pho night
Members for: 4
Members against: 0
Members Abstaining:1
pass
VSA Banquet
Silva: a lot of money for so far away.
Stefan: could bring down price based on number of students who came last year.
James: But if you lower price, will event still be for UMBC students?
Christine leaves: 6:45pm
Harsh: A lot of money for something that’s not necessarily geared to UMBC students.
Tokumbo: could consider providing transport
Yasmin: move to vote.
Harsh: second.
Members for: 0
Members against: 3
Members abstaining: 1
Members absent: 1
Does not pass.
Move on to common ground midnight madness. 6:48pm
Yasmin: Up to us as to whether or not uniforms would be a benefit to students or just the club. Good that used for on campus events.
Harsh: Is there a policy that prevents us from funding?
Erica: No because they are technically not competing. They are recognized as a group that does not compete. Issue is, are these uniforms for a restricted part of the student body?
Harsh: think it would benefit UMBC students.
Nayana: Have funded t-shirts for performing arts groups in the past
Be aware of setting precedent
Silva: If they wear it at many events will benefit campus.
Harsh: Don’t think were setting precedent harsh. Up to finance board.
Erica: Does set precedent. Will hold yourself to fund costumes for performing arts groups in the future.
Yasmin: Did fund it last year a lot
Musical theatre club 6:53pm
Fall Showcase
Fall showcase a group of songs from a variety of musicals
Held in sports zone
Free for students, $5 for everyone else
Held for two nights
Questions/Issues:
Harsh: You have auditions for the club itself?
Musical Theater Club: For the shows, but anyone can be in the club.
Yasmin: Quotes?
MTC: May have filled out the form for just one performance – not sure if price is accurate
Harsh: What are you doing for advertising?
MTC: commonvision
Silva: Where being held?
MTC: Sports zone, still working out issues with other groups who want the space.
Harsh: Also have SGA flyers
SASA 6:56
BBQ
BBQ every year in the fall
Everyone can come
Erickson field at October 8th -6pm
Open to everyone
Questions/Issues:
Silva: How many people?
SASA: About 100
Yasmin: It’s free for everyone?
Harsh: How are you advertising?
SASA: Flyers in reslife and commons
Silva: Where are you getting your food and supplies?
SASA: Probably a wholesale place
Back to discussion of Common Ground 6:58
Harsh: Trying to decide if we were setting precedent, and if precedent we want to set for costumes.
James: Think this is beneficial, should be funded. Policy is not something that should inhibit us.
Nayana: Policy exists to ensure system consistency.
James: if problem with policy, then policy should be changed.
Harsh: Finance board’s decision.
Harsh: Anyone have anything to say about policy?
Yasmin: Have to make sure costumes are reusable.
Harsh: Must keep in mind that if we fund this we will have to explain to future organizations why we can or cannot fund their costumes.
Further Questions:
Silva: Where are uniforms from?
CG: Haven’t discussed it yet
Silva: Is this amount requested just an estimate?
CG: Yes, based on 40 people
Erica: Would these costumes match the theme for a future year?
CG: Just this year, but parts of outfit would be reusable.
Harsh: How would you reuse?
CG: Parts of costumes can be used in future events.
7:01 vote on midnight madness for common ground.
Members for: 3
Members opposed: 0
Members abstaining: 1
Members absent 1
Finance board sees the costumes as being beneficial to UMBC students. Pass.
Musical Theater Club vote
Issue of prices:
$690 new total for Fall Showcase
Members for: 3
Members opposed: 0
Members abstaining: 1
Members absent: 1
Pass
SASA BBQ vote
Members for: 3
Members opposed: 0
Members abstaining: 1
Members absent: 1
Latino Student Union
Members for: 3
Members opposed: 0
Members abstaining: 1
Members absent: 1
Equestrian club
Preshow party in harbor
Members for: 3
Members opposed: 0
Members abstaining: 1
Members absent: 1
Equestrian Club Horseshow
James: 20mile to Goucher, 4 cars, 40miles x4 is 160. If they get 10 miles to the gallon, up to $60 total should be funded at $3. 50 a gallon. $60 has enough benefit to pay for the 10 non-competing UMBC students
Erica: are you paying by gas or mileage? Mileage times government rate is a different number than $60. Could submit mileage reimbursement.
Yasmin: Would need recites to prove they spent 60 dollars on gas.
Erica: Federal government stipulates every year that mileage gets reimbursed. Based on gas prices plus the cost of maintaining the vehicle for 1 year.
If you reimburse based on mileage, you take the number of miles driven times the mileage rate (currently at either 51, 51, 58). This is different then paying for the gas to get them there.
Harsh: Are we required as the finance board to follow this?
Erica: Don’t think so.
Yasmin: Have done it this way before (just give amount of money), but still don’t know if we actually want to fund or not.
Harsh: Comfortable voting on 60 dollars?
Yasmin: Remind the group via email that the $60 is to be used for students only, not faculty advisor. Students have priority.
Silva: Maybe if advisor drove their car and took students with.
James: Concern that if we cut down funding to 60, they think they can’t take everyone.
Silva: Probably planning on taking same people regardless.
Cutting down amount to 60 dollars
Vote for 60 dollars (for both trips).
Are we ok with funding this?
James: Keep in mind we funded common ground.
Yasmin: Common ground was on campus.
Vote
Members for: 2
Members opposed: 1
Members abstaining: 1
Members absent: 1
Pass
Hindu Student Council
Garba
$2200 new estimate for cost.
Questions/Issues:
Yasmin: Why don’t you have the sticks from last year?
Hindu Student Council: People take them
Silva: What happened with the money you didn’t give back?
Yasmin: Don’t feel comfortable asking students for deposit for sticks. Maybe for off campus people.
Harsh: Is there a way to mark the one that you buy so that you can collect every one that goes out?
HSC: We could do that
Tokunbo: Could collect student ID and give out the sticks?
Nayana: Too much hassle.
Harsh: Can’t sell the ones we paid for to off campus guests.
Try and figure out some system where students do not have to pay so finance board does not have to fund them every year.
Yasmin: Don’t mind funding them every year if students keep sticks. But since they were collected back, why should finance board fund them again?
Harsh: As long as students get them, finance board can fund every year.
Harsh: Try to get back as many as possible. Or try and give them out only for student.
Stefan: Could just give them out to everyone, and request money every year.
Yasmin: Are they essential tot the event?
HSC: Yes
Harsh: Deposit idea?
Yasmin: Students might not take money to event.
Silva: How long is the event?
HSC: Starts at 7 and ends at 1
Yasmin: Could you give out sticks to off campus people as well, since their paying ticket prices anyway?
HSC: Ok, deposit for off campus give out to students
Harsh: Anyway UMBC students can have preference?
Silva: Will there be tables?
HSC: No
Silva: Where is this being held?
HSC: UC Ballroom
Yasmin: What date is it being held?
HSC: October 18th
Erica: Needs to be made clear that this is a binding agreement. Charging for sticks would be breaking the agreement.
Harsh: Can charge ticket admission for non-students.
Voting $2200
Members for: 3
Members opposed: 0
Members abstaining: 1
Members absent: 1
Pass, under the condition that sticks will be given out to everyone.
7:33 Go Club has missed two meetings so finance board will vote against them. Any org that misses two meetings will be voted against (as was established last week).
Vote
Members for: 0
Members opposed: 3
Members abstaining: 1
Members absent: 1
Not passed
The following groups did not show and requests will be tabled until next week:
Pre Dental Society
Korean Student Association
Omicron Delta Epsilon
Skydiving Club
Post Meeting Discussion
Every one knows office hours?
Deadline for requests no later than Monday at 2pm.
Yasmin: Email people by Monday morning?
Harsh: That’s fine.
Packet should be ready by Monday afternoon.
Decision of who is contacting whom:
Harsh
Go Club
Hispanic Student Union
Equestrian Club
Yasmin
Pre- dental
Korean Student Association
Omicron Delta Epsilon
Skydiving Club
Stefan
SASA
HSC
Christine
Vietnamese Student Association
Silva
Common ground
Musical theater
Keep a closer track on legislation. Make line-by-line account of where money goes so that it cannot be spent on anything other than what it is designated for.
Roll Call
All present except Christine
Meeting Adjourned at 7:46pm