ASMSU’s Funding Board likely will stop giving registered student organizations money after its account runs dry next week.
The undergraduate student government board started out with $34,182 at the beginning of the semester to disperse to student organizations.
ASMSU’s Student Assembly allocated $6,000 of a requested $10,000 on Feb. 13. But the MSU Motion Dance Team, MSU Women’s Lacrosse Club and National Agri-Marketing Association were awarded a total of $8,592.93 at the board’s Tuesday night meeting, leaving only $4,500. Fifteen organizations have been funded so far this semester.
The remaining $4,500 must cater to 20 organizations that are scheduled for interviews through April 1.
ASMSU’s 500 registered student organizations are funded by the board on a first-come, first-served basis, and also under the criteria of an organization’s fund-raising efforts and general student benefit. Each group must submit an agenda showing how the money will be spent.
Pre-Veterinary Medical Association was denied a request of $3,000 Tuesday night based on the board’s criteria.
Jennifer Deschoff, Funding Board chairwoman, said she is concerned about groups receiving funds from more than one section of ASMSU, waiving the rule of only being allowed to get money from one section each semester.
North American Indian Student Organization received funding for its Feb. 9 and 10 powwow event from ASMSU’s Student Assembly, Academic Assembly and Programming Board.
“Why does that organization get so much more money than any other organization?” Deschoff asked Wednesday after she made the decision to notify other organizations that a maximum donation of $3,000 might not be available.
ASMSU has to have a minimum of $3,000 available for each group it is scheduled to interview. Board members are scheduled to interview four groups next week. Deschoff said the board likely will not function after Monday.
“All those people are getting ix-nayed; I’m going to have to send out a huge e-mail,” Deschoff said.
Joe Mignano, Student Assembly vice chairwoman, said NAISO did not get “special consideration” from ASMSU when they were awarded about $18,000 from three different sections of the government.
“I don’t think they got that because of who they are,” Mignano said. “It was because of their situation. I think everyone gets fair consideration when they come forth and gets judged in the same context.”
Matt Weingarden, Student Assembly internal vice chairperson, said he is in the process of making financial guidelines for all sections of ASMSU, but doesn’t know when they will be complete.
“Once we get expanded financial guidelines, we will have an umbrella policy so as to create consistent policies in relation to the disbursement of student tax dollars,” Weingarden said.
Doug Touchette, ASMSU Executive Board member, said it is essential for the Funding Board to give money to more student organizations.
He said the jobs of interviewing organizations for money should belong to Funding Board, not the assemblies. The assemblies don’t act objectively, he said.
“The people we give funding to are participating and benefiting MSU as a whole,” he said. “Therefore when we run out of funds, the groups that have great student benefit don’t receive any because we don’t have any to offer them.”
