Wednesday September 5, 2001

Appropriations Board has over-budgeted in past; additional funding to prevent recurrence

The ASUA Appropriations Board added $14,000 to its budget for club funding so it will not exceed spending like it has in previous years.

Jessica Patze, chairwoman of the Appropriations Board and Associated Students of the University of Arizona senator, said that each year the board makes every attempt to fill the requests of clubs in need of financial support.

"In the past, the board has gone over budget because its main objective is to help all clubs," Patze said, "We're trying to allocate more funds in the beginning of the year to prevent going over budget in the end of the year."

Patze said the budget for club funding last year was $91,000 and the board went over budget by $12,000 by the end of the school year.

She said that this year, the board was allocated $105,000 and she does not expect to request the transfer of funds from another board or committee to cover any overspending.

"The budget is larger because we don't want to have to reallocate funds towards the end of the year," she said. She added when in need of funds, the board took money from other ASUA executive boards - with extra funds to give - so that no board or committee suffered a loss in its budget.

Patze said the time near Homecoming and during spring semester are when most clubs approach the board for funding. She added that most funding requests are for club members to attend a conference, bring a speaker to campus, advertise or purchase supplies.

She said some general requests that the board cannot approve are the purchase of food and items that have political or religious persuasive views.

"We set procedures to prevent biases," Patze said. She said the board will meet this weekend to review its precedents and receive more training in the procedures of funding clubs.

She said sports clubs are funded in a separate manner as money is budgeted specifically for those organizations and is simply distributed evenly among all the sports clubs.

ASUA senator Jennifer Reece said for a club to request funding, it must first go to the Student Involvement Center and be recognized as an official University of Arizona organization.

From there, she said, the club must present the document of recognition to ASUA and begin a file with the student body.

Reece said ASUA employs club advocates who assist the club in filling out request forms for the needed funds. The club must then submit the application to ASUA at least 10 days prior to the organization's event, she said.

Reece said the club then goes before the board, consisting of nine directors and one senator, for review of the application. The board then recommends the club's request to the senate for approval.

She added that requests are almost always approved.

"The main motto of the board is to look at each case separately and make sure consistent funding is appropriated," Reece said.

Patze said there will be a club recognition assembly tomorrow at 5:30 p.m. in Social Sciences 100, in which all club presidents will be present and recognized by the university as an official school club.