• A major increase in SAC funding: an extra $64,000 for student groups (or 7.77% increase from last year!).
• Restructuring Spring Fling finances: accounting changes mean that while Fling is unchanged its true cost is now reported and accounted for; plus, the recommendation includes a little bit extra for Concert talent.
• A major increase in Connaissance Major Speaker Honoraria funding (from $61,000 per semester to $75,000 per semester).
• Restoration of the SPEC Film Speaker Event with $13,000 of funding.
• Some program eliminations:
  • Dolphin email accounts ($4950)
  • SPEC Concerts Small Show Series ($3000)
  • SPEC Connaissance Philomathean Society Annual Oration Co-Sponsorship ($3000)
  • Minority Scholars Weekend ($2250)
  • SPEC Special Events Third Spring Fest ($2000)
  • SPEC Connaissance Haitian Solidarity Week Co-Sponsorship ($1000)
  • Haitian Solidarity Week Co-Sponsorship ($1000)
  • Holocaust Memorial Day Co-Sponsorship ($1000)
  • GUIDE Co-Sponsorship ($1000)
• Standardization of SPEC Jazz and Grooves and SPEC-TRUM Spring Concert with Fall Concerts, involving cutting:
  • $10,550 from SPEC Jazz and Grooves Spring Concert
  • $7,950 from SPEC-TRUM Spring Concert

The final budget is available in a printable version (for legal-size paper!) or an online Google Docs version.

See below the jump for an itemized list of approved amendments. And tell us what you think in the comments!

The ten approved amendments (i.e. changes from the budget recommendation) were:

1. All funding for Ivy Council ($4163) was revoked.
2. The SCUE Research Symposium was granted full funding (total $1950)
3. SCUE Internet, banner hanging, and print toner costs were funded at a total of $272
4. NEC Spring Candidate Packets were cut by $100 and increase NEC student government information fliers were increased by $100
5. NEC Midnight Breakfast food and beverage allocations were increased by $300 (from $2200 to $2500) to reflect the loss of a lucrative catering contract.
6. SPEC Connaissance Spring Non-Annual Co-Sponsorships were increased by $3000 to $15,500
7. MLK Day, Kwanzaa, Cari-Fest, Kappa Scholarship Ball, and La Unidad Latina line items were revoked and placed in SPEC-TRUM Non-Annual Co-Sponsorship, which was thereby increased from $6,000 to $17,300
8. MSA Islam Awareness Week Connaissance Line-Item was increased to $2500 from $2000.
9. The UA Dolphin Server charges were restored to pay for web accounts (but not email), increasing the Dolphin Line-Item to $500 from $0.
10. The Sophomore Class Board was granted an additional $1000, to $13500, to promote a larger and ever-better Sophomore Skimmer.

This year, a low projected General Fee increase meant that the UA’s budget rose by the same proportion as last year (3.7%) and so the UA was given an extra $67,000 to distribute. The actual distribution is done in a two-step process: the Budget Committee (consisting of Sakina Zaidi, UA Treasurer, and UA Members Zac Byer and Ryan Houston) issues a recommendation, which is then considered by the entire UA in a lengthy public process that culminates in a Budget Decision Meeting where the UA at large may amend the Budget Committee’s recommendation before a final vote on February 28th.

The budget recommendation is available in a printable version (for legal-size paper!) or an online Google Docs version.

We hope that you provide comments and feedback on this site! This is your chance to have your say on how your $1.9 million is spent! Check below the jump for a summary of key features of this year’s recommendation:

Key features of this year’s Budget Recommendation include:

• A major increase in SAC funding: an extra $67,100 for student groups (or 8.1% increase from last year!).
• Restructuring Spring Fling finances: accounting changes mean that while Fling is unchanged its true cost is now reported and accounted for; plus, the recommendation includes a little bit extra for Concert talent.
• A major increase in Connaissance Major Speaker Honoraria funding (from $61,000 per semester to $75,000 per semester).
• Restoration of the SPEC Film Speaker Event with $13,000 of funding.
• Some program eliminations:
  • Dolphin Server ($5450)
  • SPEC Concerts Small Show Series ($3000)
  • SPEC Connaissance Philomathean Society Annual Oration Co-Sponsorship ($3000)
  • Minority Scholars Weekend ($2250)
  • SPEC Special Events Third Spring Fest ($2000)
  • SPEC Connaissance Haitian Solidarity Week Co-Sponsorship ($1000)
  • Haitian Solidarity Week Co-Sponsorship ($1000)
  • Holocaust Memorial Day Co-Sponsorship ($1000)
  • GUIDE Co-Sponsorship ($1000)
• Standardization of SPEC Jazz and Grooves and SPEC-TRUM Spring Concert with Fall Concerts, involving cutting:
  • $10,550 from SPEC Jazz and Grooves Spring Concert
  • $7,950 from SPEC-TRUM Spring Concert

Authored by Vinay Rao, Sakina Zaidi, and G.J. Melendez-Torres, the UA also resolved to improve the academic environment for students within testing situations by making a few changes such as ensuring left-handed desks, increased invigilators, adequate desk space, and clear time displays.

Finally, Associate Member Colin Kavanaugh and the Student Life committee is working with the University to prevent identity fraud by promoting the opportunity for students to change their PIN numbers away from the current Social Security Number-based PIN.

Please tell us your thoughts, and check out the full meeting minutes.