Three weeks into the semester the Associated Student’s (AS) funds for clubs and organizations are at their lowest in 10-years according to officials. While the specific amount isn’t certain senators estimated during the meeting the deficit is about $20,000.
However that number should change by next week said Conor Landsdale a Lower Division I senator, once the campus knows for certain how many students will be enrolled this semester.
‘Because of impaction and Cal Grants being delayed or cancelled there was a drop in enrollment which means they’re not paying the A.S. fees,’ Lansdale said.
‘Those students are scrambling to to pay their tuition by getting student loans or by other means which means we’re going to see enrollment go up and the budget going up but we won’t know until next week.’
Andrew Collard, Senate and Representative of the Finance Committee, stated that the clubs and organizations that have had their annual budget assigned to them in the fall will not get more, although they can still ask for supplemental help.’
Lansdale added that these clubs had used up their annual budget in the fall which is why their asking for supplemental funding for the spring.
‘If they have gotten a lot of help already we will turn them away, for those clubs that have gotten $10,000 or more,’ said Collard.
$112,640 is left in reserves and has yet to be allocated. If A.S. is still in the red that money will be removed from the left over money that has not been assigned, said Landsdale.
So far 150 clubs and organizations attended the annual budget hearing leaving those who haven’t with a possibility of asking for money later in the semester, especially as graduation nears said Collard.
‘This is all because Schwarzenegger hasn’t signed off on a budget,’ Lansdale said. ‘He doesn’t even know where the money for next year is going to come.’
For those clubs that did not attend the annual budget meeting chances of being granted aid is still a possibility, depending on the amount of money that has already been asked for.
A unanimously vote was reached on the suspension of the Standing Rules on Conflict of Interest which state that, ‘no Associated Students Senator may be employed in any area of the Associated Students.’
This vote to suspend the rule would allow four current A.S. administrators’, two of which work for intramurals, to work for A.S. and serve on the board.
According to Collard this suspension would allow students to keep their jobs and maintain their roles as A.S. senators.
‘It would be unfair for them to lose their jobs,’ Collard said.
‘They know to abstain automatically,’ said Lansdale referring to the administrators who work are in a conflict of interest. ‘They won’t use it to their benefit.’
‘That’s were hopefully you have good senators who will censor those senators for participating in budget meetings, if not that is where advisors will step in.’
