With Ohio University’s academic switch to semesters, the way student organizations receive funding has also changed.
OU’s Senate Appropriations Commission began offering rolling funding this fall so that organizations can apply for and receive funding during the same semester.
The model was created to fix delayed funding, said Austin LaForest, chair of the campus organizations committee within SAC, adding that rolling funding is capped at $500.
Previously, SAC funding was applied for every quarter and distributed during the next quarter.
SAC is part of OU’s Student Senate, consisting of 28 members from the senate, greek organizations and other groups throughout campus.
With a budget of more than $400,000 in student fees, SAC accepts applications for funding from student organizations certified by the Campus Involvement Center, located in Baker University Center.
“SAC is not allowed to tell student organizations how to program,” said Tina Kongkeo, Student Senate’s SAC commissioner. “Events need to be available for all students.”
After being certified, student organizations have to apply for funding, go through an interview process and attend a workshop, Kongkeo said.
“OU is somewhat unique in having students run the funding allocation for SAC,” LaForest said. “We want to put on programs; we want to help people receive funding. We want as many (applications) as we can get.”
Three organizations annually receive 60 percent of SAC’s funding each year, including the Black Student Cultural Programming Board, the University Program Council and the International Student Union, Kongkeo said.
All organizations are given roughly even amounts of money each year, Kongkeo added.
About four years ago, SAC’s budget was more than $500,000, but recent budget cuts have decreased the funds to about $100,000, Kongkeo said.
However, Kongkeo and LaForest believe student responsibility and administrative oversight guarantee that none of the money will be misspent.
“Funding decisions are … audited at the end of each semester,” Kongkeo said. “Student organizations come with receipts and show that they have spent money appropriately.”
Jenny Hall-Jones, interim dean of students, serves as SAC’s faculty advisor and is always watching the budget, LaForest said.
“People are doing well this year so far with budgeting money,” Kongkeo said. “It’s (student’s) money, so they should be able to have some reign over it.”
dd195710@ohiou.edu
