Seg fee proposal finished
Finance Commission mulls appeals from five groups
Spectator staff
Issue date: 12/3/07 Section: Campus News
UW-Eau Claire's 2008-2009 Organized Activities Budget will move on to Student Senate for approval next semester after its Finance Commission decided on appeals from five groups Wednesday.
Representatives from International Films, International Activities, Student Senate, The Flip Side and the Artists Series pleaded their cases Wednesday to the commission, after which members reevaluated the tentative budget, Finance Commission Director Tom Holtan said.
"In my mind, (the commission members) were really good at compromise," Holtan said, explaining that for the first time he could remember, the commission came to a decision quickly and efficiently, only taking one day during the budget deliberations.
The budget process usually starts in September, Holtan said, with organized activities formulating a budget for the following academic year.
While some of these organizations are student groups, some are academic departments, offices and or programs, such as music and theatre arts, International Education and athletics, he said.
"It's important that you crunch the numbers," Holtan said.
Each organized activity has the opportunity to meet with administrators and members of the commission before submitting their budgets in case they have any questions or concerns.
Every year around the end of October, the 16-member Finance Commission holds budget consultations, during which representatives from each group present their budget requests. After this, each member of the commission drafts his or her own tentative budget, given a set total amount, that administrators suggest and commission members typically agree on, Holtan said.
"This is the biggest homework beyond the commission (meetings)," he said.
After commission members discuss each of their allocations, they then vote on a tentative budget, usually at the beginning of November, Holtan said. Then, every organized activity has an opportunity to plead its case during the appeals process.
The commission hears arguments from those wishing to appeal and votes again on its final recommendations, which it sends to Student Senate. The entire Senate may amend the tentative budget allocations before putting it to a final vote in February. The budget then goes to the chancellor.
Representatives from International Films, International Activities, Student Senate, The Flip Side and the Artists Series pleaded their cases Wednesday to the commission, after which members reevaluated the tentative budget, Finance Commission Director Tom Holtan said.
"In my mind, (the commission members) were really good at compromise," Holtan said, explaining that for the first time he could remember, the commission came to a decision quickly and efficiently, only taking one day during the budget deliberations.
The budget process usually starts in September, Holtan said, with organized activities formulating a budget for the following academic year.
While some of these organizations are student groups, some are academic departments, offices and or programs, such as music and theatre arts, International Education and athletics, he said.
"It's important that you crunch the numbers," Holtan said.
Each organized activity has the opportunity to meet with administrators and members of the commission before submitting their budgets in case they have any questions or concerns.
Every year around the end of October, the 16-member Finance Commission holds budget consultations, during which representatives from each group present their budget requests. After this, each member of the commission drafts his or her own tentative budget, given a set total amount, that administrators suggest and commission members typically agree on, Holtan said.
"This is the biggest homework beyond the commission (meetings)," he said.
After commission members discuss each of their allocations, they then vote on a tentative budget, usually at the beginning of November, Holtan said. Then, every organized activity has an opportunity to plead its case during the appeals process.
The commission hears arguments from those wishing to appeal and votes again on its final recommendations, which it sends to Student Senate. The entire Senate may amend the tentative budget allocations before putting it to a final vote in February. The budget then goes to the chancellor.
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