The numbers are in, sort of, and the Student Senate budget for the 2005/2006 fiscal year is out, having received approval from both the 33rd Student Senate, and the newly seated 34th Student Senate. The projected $350,000 that make up the budget come from the Student Activity Fee, of which 70 percent is allotted to student groups by the Student Senate. The remaining 30 percent automatically goes to the Student Communications Board to fund WMPG and The Free Press. One amendment to the budget will tap leftover money from the 04/05 year to fund an administrative assistant for the Student Senate Business Office.
Originally, the budget was on the Senate agenda for a decision last week but was tabled due to the introduction of an amendment requesting that roll-over funds, left over money from last year, be reallocated to the hiring of a level one administrative assistant for the Student Senate Business Office manager, Kathleen Pease. Currently, decisions on those money will wait until the amount is known.
This year, discrepancies between the amounts requested by student groups and the projected allocated amount, due to a projected $100,000 difference from last year, have left some student groups feeling the process is flawed and wanting reform.
Both the Gorham Events Board (GEB) and Portland Events Boards (PEB) are concerned with their allocation for 05/06. The boards are student-run groups on each campus which organize programming for USM students, including Thirsty Thursdays, the May Day Craze, and Stress Relief Week. They also organize numerous trips and activities each year. These two groups received the largest cuts to their requested amounts.
This is a painful year for the Gorham Events Board (GEB); recent years have brought regular increases-until now.
“This is the first year in three years that we got cut,” said Amanda Blake, president of the GEB. “This is also the first year that we have had the [high] attendance that we do at events…how is that fair?” The Portland Events Board’s proposed budget was cut twice as much, at roughly $5,000.
Due to the projected lack of funds, the groups will be unable to continue some activities. “One of our biggest nights, Stress Relief Night, is not going to happen this year,” said Blake. The night is held during finals week and usually has strong attendance.
Ezekiel Kimball, 33rd Student Senate chair, said “budgets, in part, reflect the amount of money the group requested, the amount they spent in the preceding budget period, and the relative number of events/activities they sponsored.”
Blake feels this “formula” is not truly being followed, “I think the budget process is ludicrous, and not all student groups are accurately portrayed by the amount of money they got.” She recalled comedian Bob Marley’s appearance last semester. Blake noted that 450 students attended the boards sponsored event, and to her, it was a large, successful event. “You cannot say that the GEB has not been successful,” said Blake. “Nor do we deserve having a cut of $2,000 when we already don’t have enough money to do all the programming that we would like, and more importantly, that students would like.”
Joshua Chaisson said, “Nobody likes budget cuts.” He is the chair of the 33rd Student Senate Finance Committee and Student Body President. The 20-plus organizations that receive Activity Fee money requested over $450,000, yet only $350,000 is projected to actually materialize. Roughly one-quarter of the organizations that rely on the Senate’s allocation received less this year.
“Every year budgets fluctuate,” Chaisson said. “These cuts were very hard and called for the senate and finance committee to make some tough decisions.”
All UMS schools have their own activity fee, set by the Board of Trustees. Each University has considerable leeway in the usage of the fee. The University of Southern Maine has chosen to give the entire Student Activity Fee Allocation to the Student Senate, though the process is not without oversight. According to Kimball, the 33rd Senate Chair, “The arrangement continues each year unless the University or the Board of Trustees rules that the Student Senate has put the money at risk.” To prevent this, the Student Senate conducts its own external audit each year to ensure responsible stewardship of the Activity Fee and presents the results to the University.”
According to Chaisson, “Any student has the right to come to a Senate meeting or meet with a senator and express their concern on the way the Senate allocates student activity money.”
The Student Senate’s office is located at 11 Baxter Blvd., Portland, on the second floor.