FEB groups reflect

Several front-end budgeted student organizations and clubs felt last Tuesday’s Student Government Association’s FEB meeting went smoothly, and were happy with the turnout of their budgets.

The FEB groups include Student Ambassadors, Black Student Alliance, the University Program Board, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, Sports Club Council, InterFraternity Council, Campus Assault ResponsE, the Panhellenic Council and SGA.

The Senate debated and passed amendments, last Thursday, on all the budgets except the SGA’s budget which will be debated tomorrow and the entire budget will then be passed.

Junior finance committee chair Matt Gray said, “I didn't expect for the senate to be as independently minded. To a certain extent, I understand it. But at the same time, it's frustrating for everyone to think they know best when they don't have the information the finance committee has had.”

He added, “I think the senate has made some very dangerous moves in disregarding many of the standards the finance committee set for the budgets.”

According to UPB, this year’s FEB night went smoothly, but many groups wished they had received more money.

“The night could not have gone smoother for the UPB,” said senior Shaun Nicholson, UPB’s executive director of finance. “We were done, in roughly 10 minutes and when we were done, we left feeling good about the decisions made about our budget.

“I would have liked to have been allotted several million dollars so we could bring the Dave Matthews Band to Taylor Down Under. But, unfortunately, we had to deal with the concept of reality,” he added. “Considering [that it’s a zero-increase year],I am very happy with the money we have been budgeted, and know that our programmers and volunteers can put on great events with those financial constraints.”

Black Student Alliance was given money to purchase T-shirts for its executive committee members through a budgetary amendment.

“We felt that everything went very smoothly and were pleased with the outcome,” said senior Rasheeda Miller, BSA president. “We received everything we requested, plus our additional funding request.”

The Sports Club Council also was the subject of debate concerning whether or not to give money for sports coaches. In the end, it received $5,007.50 for coaches’ salaries.

“I think the SGA is in a tough spot, and, for that reason, they went to great lengths to ensure each dollar was allocated to programs that enhanced the quality of life for students,” said junior Gary LaBelle, SCC treasurer. “While the debates were intense, I feel confident our student fees were well-allocated.”

Freshman Erin Power, SCC president, said, “I was extremely happy with the senators who spoke out on behalf of sport clubs. There was a lot of debate about taking money from the contingency fund for our organization, but I don’t think people realize that we welcome new clubs each year into our organization.

“Therefore, while it is a zero-increase year, we are constantly growing and taking in clubs who would typically be asking for money from contingency,” she said.

According to the SGA’s Web site, sga.jmu.edu/serv_orgs.html, Front-end budgeted groups are organizations on campus that receive a certain amount of money every year from student fees. The amount of money that they receive is determined every year based on their budget from the previous year.

According to Gray, the SGA finance committee looks over groups’ budgets and determines if they need all the money they were given last year, and if their budget should be reduced or increased based upon the group’s projected needs for the upcoming year.

The SGA then meets and amends each budget to give money back to the organizations or to take more money away from them. After each organization’s budget is debated, all the budgets as a whole are passed.

The finance committee gives money to each organization based on standards that have been set in the past, and based on whether or not the money will help to fullfill the organization’s mission statement, according to Gray.