Although the amount of funds AS controls will remain largely unaltered, the appropriation of funds for next year shifted, in the annual budget meeting, from activities and event groups to services offered to students.
The senate gathered May 5 to determine how to appropriate next year’s money to student clubs and groups, such as chapel and intramurals. Most groups are receiving markedly less money for fall ’09 than last fall, in some cases up to 28 percent lower, while The Biolan, The Chimes, marketing and advertising, Plant Assets (technology upkeep) and the department of religious and academic relations will remain static or increase.
With AS income guaranteed from the student fee increase to $120, the only way its account could be smaller is if full-time enrollment slumps. Projected enrollment numbers for the fall semester come in at 3,300, which equals a lump sum of $297,000, 75 percent of which is entrusted to AS. After allocating $4,375 for the contingency fund, a final $292,625 remains for the fall 2009 budget. Total allocation is actually up from $285,980, according to the AS fall ’09 budget summary.
The Biolan will have the most significant percentage increase, up 15 percent to $44,550. The Chimes received the largest numerical increase of $17,970, a 14.5 percent increase. The biggest reduction arose from payroll budget, which will be docked from $101,700 to $85,000. Clubs will receive more in fall ’09 than they did this spring, but less than they did in fall ‘08.
Specific groups that will receive the most funding are those that host the most expensive school-wide events like Social Board, Chapel Board, and student clubs. Chapel’s budget decreased by $1,725 down from $12,825, and Social Board funding dropped by $2,860 down from $41, 035.
Smaller groups, like the International Student Association, typically receive less. If an event is important to the tradition at Biola, however, that weighs heavily on the decision to distribute more funds to the group that puts on that event. One event that receives favor for this reason is Biola’s annual hip-hop show, “Sola Soul,” which falls under the category of Multicultural Relations. MCR as a whole received $6,860, about $350 less than last year.
“Numbers aren’t the only thing that matter,” explained Tabitha Verdick, who oversees Multicultural Relations, the group responsible for coordinating the show. “[Sola Soul] is an event that is unique to Biola,” she said.
The executives, chairs, directors and senators determined how much should be allotted based on the groups’ varying needs. Ten votes or a two-thirds majority is necessary for each portion of the budget to pass, explained Terry Coon, AS controller.
Coon says the contingency budget shortage of approximately $38,000 from last semester will not affect the amount of money available in the future, but said the upside of the accounting error resulted in a good exercise of tighter money management.
“With there not being as much money as expected, the groups had to become more creative in their planning and budgeting for events,” Coon said.
