SGA funds groups $10,000 after emergency meeting

The SGA restored more than $10,000 in funding to six student groups after an emergency meeting of executives on Friday, providing the groups with money originally intended for new computers and accessories for offices.

The groups had been promised additional funding in a Wednesday meeting before Student Government Association officials realized they had offered some $20,000 more than they actually had available, sparking outcry against the body and concerns that some of the groups wouldn't be able to survive.

Each of the six groups was given the amount it was originally allocated Wednesday — $1,142 went to the Jewish Social Action Committee, $1,856 to Satanic Mechanic Theater Company, $5,810 to WMUC Radio, $253 to Terrapin Anime Society, $1,000 to the Bangladeshi Student Association and $353 to the Black Honors Caucus, for a total of $10,414.

"The SGA executives really pulled through for us," WMUC Sports business director Jamie Forzato said. "Without that $5,800, we would have been shut down, we would have had to sign off the air."

Last year, the SGA was granted about $20,000 by the Stamp Student Union to spend on new technology for student groups. The $10,414 that went to cover the appeals deficit would have been spent on new computers and other equipment for the Student Involvement Suite in Stamp.

About $5,000 of that fund covered the suite's telephone and Internet costs for this academic year. Roughly $5,000 remains for next year's bills.

"It was in the unanimous opinion of the execs that this was more important," SGA President Steve Glickman said, and University Vice President for Student Affairs Linda Clement approved the fund transfer.

During Wednesday's SGA meeting, 13 student groups left under the impression they would receive money, but those funds were revoked from seven groups later that night when the SGA realized it had promised student groups appeals of about $20,000 more than the $50,000 it had to give out.

To make up the difference, legislators backtracked through each appeal and ultimately revoked about half the appeals they initially granted.

The only group that was not given in full what they had been promised Wednesday night was Engineers Without Borders, which was already granted $1,000 due to a finance committee clerical error.

Several SGA executives — who did not have a say in the earlier appeals deliberations — agreed they were unhappy with the way the funds were initially allocated, but said this was the fairest way to treat the groups that had their appeals granted and then rejected.

"After Wednesday night, I think this is the best way that the executives could have handled the situation," Vice President of Financial Affairs Robert Mutschler said.

At this point, the SGA has contributed a total of $13,796 from its own budget to help fund student group appeals. In addition to the money the SGA extracted from next year's technology contract, during appeals allocations, legislators also voted to remove $2,000 from its general operations budget for telephone bills and $1,382 from its general operations security/salaries budget.

Glickman said there were no preventative measures the SGA could have taken to avoid the financial crunch for funding student groups, but noted several steps the SGA has already taken to ensure this doesn't happen in years to come.

Between the SGA's recommendation to increase the Student Activity Fee by $6 per year and the transfer of sports clubs' funding to Campus Recreation Services, the SGA that presides over primary funding in years to come will have much more money to work with. However, neither measure will take full effect until 2013.

Mutschler said educating legislators on the finance process would be key to preventing such over-budgeting in the future.

"Future VPs of finance can try and take more measures to educate legislature on the finance process, perhaps making it a part of the legislators' duties that they have to attend a president-treasurers workshop or a budget workshop," Mutschler said.

Because the SGA hasn't raised the Student Activity Fee in several years, Glickman said this budget crisis was "a long time coming."

Anticipating ongoing tight budgets, Mutschler said he does not expect next year's SGA to renew the technology contract.

"I really think that basic programming for student groups is a more essential item right now," he said.

WMUC, which has operated since 1937, risked permanently losing its broadcast license from the Federal Communications Commission, Forzato said, because the type of license it holds was discontinued in the 1980s.

"We are just so thankful and appreciative to the SGA executives for recognizing the merits of WMUC and the legacy that it's had on Maryland's campus," Forzato said.

But the funds WMUC ultimately received are the bare minimum it needs to maintain its license, and will not cover the station's other operating costs, she added.

"We'll still be on the air, but equipment, phone lines, everything like that will be coming out of student pockets," Forzato said.

The station continues to fundraise and has raked in $4,900 in donations so far, she added; the station is working toward a total of $15,000.

meehan at umdbk dot com