The Student Association has more than $200,000 remaining to dole out to student organizations this semester.
After passing a record-high initial allocations bill of more than $500,000 in October, the SA will spend its remaining $217,521 funds on co-sponsorships.
“[The money] will be spent very similarly to last semester,” finance chair Chris Clark said. “We plan on allocating all the money we have to the student orgs.”
Clark said the amount of money remaining would not affect how many organizations the SA decides to fund this semester.
“There really won’t be more or less co-sponsorships [than in the fall] because we do them on a case by case basis,” Clark said. “One co-sponsorship does not determine another.”
With a significant increase in funds than in previous years, the SA Finance Committee has made an effort to ensure the co-sponsorship process – which has traditionally earned complaints from students – runs smoothly.
“We have not had any major problems with the process [this year],” Clark said. “Nupur Moondra, our vice president of financial affairs, has done a fantastic job working with SAC to make sure the co-sponsorship funding is dealt out quickly and efficiently.”
For the spring semester, the SA has agreed to co-sponsor several events so far, including Bhangra Blowout-an annual event that is one of the largest South Asian dance competitions in the United States-and a jointly hosted College Republicans-College Democrats debate between former Democratic National Committee Chair Howard Dean and conservative activist Liz Cheney.
Clark said his committee would also complete its mid-year review process to examine how student organizations have been spending their allocations on Jan. 21. If some organizations did not spend their money, it will be repossessed by the SA and added to the co-sponsorship pool. The additional funds will allow the SA to consider funding more projects.
“Our money has been spent very efficiently and fairly,” Clark said. “We’ve considered every co-sponsorship fairly and in an unbiased manner. We’ve given everyone the same chance to talk to us.”
