The Student Services Finance Committee discussed potential changes to its bylaws Monday, which could include significant alterations to the committee’s financial code, as well as the elimination of student hourly positions from student organizations.
According to SSFC Rep. Ron Crandall, who authored the changes, it is an overhaul of bylaws to “increase access, fairness, clarity and flexibility to any student organization that requests funding.”
SSFC Chair Ellie Bruecker said under the proposed legislation, the General Student Services Fund would be eliminated. The GSSF currently supplies money allocated to registered student organizations, which provide direct services to students by meeting SSFC eligibility criteria.
According to Bruecker, the change reflects that the GSSF is largely unused.
“We have 16 student organizations splitting $1.4 million and the other 800 fighting over $500,000 in finance committee grants that always run out,” Bruecker said.
Under the new system all student organizations would be required to go through the same process to receive funding. The proposal would also give SSFC a total budget of less than $1.5 million and allow student organizations to request at minimum $200 and at maximum $25,000 in funding.
More than 15 individuals spoke in open forum on behalf of their student organizations about how their group would be affected by the changes. Many student organization representatives expressed concern about the proposed removal of student hourly positions.
Sex Out Loud member Sam Johnson spoke against this proposed change.
“The discontinuation of the student hourlies would mean the demise of these student organizations for a number of different reasons,” Johnson said, adding wages ensure commitment and quality work from student staff.
Johnson also said wages allow a diverse set of students to fill the positions, not just those who can spend a large amount of time volunteering.
SSFC members voted to table a decision on the proposed bylaws until Monday, April 1.
Bruecker said the decision to postpone gives SSFC representatives more time to critically examine the proposal and write potential amendments.
If the bylaws are approved in SSFC, they will go to Student Council to be passed by a two-thirds vote in two consecutive Council meetings.
The committee also approved the ASM transportation budget at $4,292,000 by a vote 9 to 3 vote.
