The Finance Committee of Point Park’s student government cut over $15,700 from student organizations’ combined proposed budgets in order to allocate funds for the second period of the semester.
31 clubs received funding at the meeting, though for some, not as much as they asked for. United Student Government (USG) had $25,000 to allocate to student organizations for the second period of the semester, but clubs petitioned for a combined total of $39,986.32.
USG slashed initial requests and suggested to student organizations that they could meet with the Finance Committee on Thursday to amend their budgets.
“It was a really tough process,” President Julian Singleton said. “[The Finance Committee] had two meetings to begin to divvy it out and then they came to the realization that they were still over budget, so they had to call a third meeting.”
That third meeting was scheduled after members of the Finance Committee sent emails to student organizations, notifying them of their club’s tentative budget – a move that took some club leaders by surprise.
“It was definitely a little frustrating and confusing,” Audrey Eisentrout, President of The Body Christian Fellowship, said in a telephone interview Monday. “Although it was unexpected…, it’s really going to be okay because we still have three days [before the Finance Committee meeting] to adjust.”
The Body Christian Fellowship had its budget proposal of $3,907.02 cut to $1,247.53 and the Finance Committee had to eliminate funding entirely from the club’s end of semester party, performance night, Pittsburgh Project event and the cost of nametags. Other cuts to the club’s budget were taken from their snack fund, the Jubilee Conference and their men’s group.
The email club leaders received had to be sent out prior to Monday’s USG meeting, but the Finance Committee still had to make cuts, which Vice President Andrew LeDonne says boiled down to a lack of time.
“A lot of [the Finance Committee members] are sort of volunteers here,” LeDonne said. “We can’t just make this their job all the time. We see the issue and we’ll work on it.”
Just three clubs got their entire proposed budget – the Anime Club, the Fashion Club and the Knitting and Crocheting Club who proposed $180, $290 and $130, respectively.
The difference in requested funds versus the difference in allocated funds is presented “so clearly because of the break in funding periods,” according to Singleton.
While the two-part funding process makes a difference in the way clubs petition for funds, Singleton thinks it has made it easier for the Finance Committee to allocate money.
“Instead of waiting until the end of the semester to reallocate money, we get a better view of what comes back to us in the middle of the semester,” Singleton said. “We can help more students with their event planning for the second half of the semester.”
Any student organization leaders who were dissatisfied with their allocation of funds are invited to the Finance Committee meeting this Thursday at 7 p.m. in the USG Office on the seventh floor of the Student Center.
Aside from funding, USG invited Tim Wilson, Assistant Vice President of Point Park’s Information Technology (IT) department, to speak about the department’s recent upgrade to the University Wi-Fi and provide students with an update on current projects.
Wilson made sure to clarify that Point Park will never reach 100 percent Wi-Fi coverage because basements and mechanical rooms do not and will not get Wi-Fi access.
He also made note of plans to implement Wi-Fi in the GRW dance complex in Lawrence Hall. The department planned for this all along, but had to order more access points after they ended up using more than previously expected due to the thick structure of older buildings on campus, like Lawrence Hall.
Students experiencing issues with Wi-Fi are encouraged to call the IT help desk, which Wilson said is now open 24/7. Calling the help desk after hours will connect students to an outsourced company familiar with Point Park’s infrastructure, according to Wilson.
