CORRECTION: In a previous version of this article, the committee Janine Savage is chair of was misstated. Savage is the chair of the Student Engagement Committee. Ivan Rosales’ previous position in Student Association was also misstated. Rosales was vice chair of the Board of Elections and Membership. The Daily Orange regrets these errors.

Proposed changes to the Student Association’s Financial Code could make an additional $200,000 available to student organizations that request funding through SA.

“More students are going to be able to utilize funds that we have available through the student activity fee,” said SA Comptroller Stephen DeSalvo before introducing the proposed changes at the 57th Session’s first general assembly meeting Monday evening in Maxwell Auditorium.

DeSalvo introduced four separate bills that, if passed, would increase the amount of funding student organizations can request for events; increase the amount organizations are allowed to request for conference registration fees; allow more “similar events” to be hosted by different campus organizations throughout the semester; and allow campus organizations to request transportation funding for events that are open to the entire campus.

Each bill will be voted on by members of the general assembly at next week’s SA meeting.

The bill that would increase the amount student organizations can request for event funding includes an amendment to SA’s four-tier system. It would not reassign organizations to tiers, but instead increase the financial cap for each tier.

• Fourth- and third-tier organizations would be eligible for $30,000 in funding, instead of $25,000 under the current funding cap.
• Second-tier organizations would be eligible for $15,000 in funding, instead of $12,000 under the current funding cap.
• First-tier organizations would be eligible for $7,500 in funding, an increase from the $5,000 allowed under current tier system guidelines.

A bill was also introduced to ease financial restrictions on student organizations that request funding for conference registration fees. The proposed change would allow organizations to register eight students if registration fees are under $250 or four students if the registration fee exceeds that amount.

If passed, the four bills would require about an additional $200,000, which DeSalvo said would not make a dent in SA’s budget. SA’s budget has increased from $2.1 million to $2.7 million in the last few years, DeSalvo said, as higher enrollment has more students paying the student activity fee.

“We weren’t spending all the money that we can,” he said, explaining that SA hasn’t used up all of the money available in previous semesters. “I think this is something that is definitely needed and definitely something we can do.”

Members of SA President Allie Curtis’ cabinet were also confirmed unanimously.

The cabinet is as follows:

• Duane Ford, former vice chair of the Student Life Committee, was confirmed as vice president.
• PJ Alampi, former chair of the Student Life Committee, was confirmed as chief of staff.
• Ivan Rosales, former vice chair of the Board of Elections and Membership , was confirmed as the chair of the Student Life Committee.
• Jenny Choi, former recorder, was confirmed as chair of the Academic Affairs Committee.
• Janine Savage, former chief of staff, was confirmed as chair of the Student Engagement Committee.
• Cara Johnson and Colin Crowley were confirmed as co-chairs of the Public Relations Committee.

Additionally, DeSalvo was sworn in for his second term as comptroller. Benjamin Jones, a former representative for the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, was elected as parliamentarian and Belen Crisp, who served on the Department of Public Safety Advisory Board in the fall, was elected as recorder. Elections for the Board of Membership and Election Chair will take place at the next SA meeting.

Curtis looked toward the future and expressed confidence in her cabinet.

Said Curtis: “I have full faith moving forward that I selected a very good cabinet.”

Published on January 15, 2013 at 2:43 am

Contact Debbie: dbtruong@syr.edu | @debbietruong