AS holds more than $10K in budget surplus

By Richard Nieva

More than $10,000 of the Associated Students budget went unused last year, a budget surplus three times the amount of the usual AS carry-forward fund.

Last Friday Associated Students created a specific task force -- a committee of Associated Students members and general students charged with the assignment of finding creative ways to spend the money.

"I think with this money this is an excellent opportunity to advance our platform, which is to promote a greater sense of school spirit and tradition here on campus," said AS President Austin Woody.

Each of the university's eight chartered student organizations -- including AS, Activities Programming Board, the Multicultural Center, KSCU, The Santa Clara and others -- are expected to draft proposals for what they intend to do with any carry-forward money by Oct. 17.

An organization's carry-forward fund is the money left unspent from the previous year's budget, and is not necessarily an unusual occurrence. In 2006 The Santa Clara had $5,200 in carry-forward funds.

Woody and Financial Vice President Bill Pluto said they hope to use the large sum AS has this year to reach out to the greater student body.

However, there are specific guidelines that Associated Students must adhere to when deciding on what to purchase.

The money must be spent on tangible, concrete items or "capital assets," according to the official policy and guidelines for the acquisition of assets for chartered student organizations.

The document outlines that the money can only be spent on items that fall into four different categories: computer, technology, equipment and vehicles. Examples include items like PCs and Macs; broadcast systems or transmitting devices; desks, chairs or other furniture; and vans and service vehicles.

Funds must be spent on nonrecurring items and cannot be spent on dinners or retreats, said Center for Student Leadership Director Jonathan Gray, who drafted the guidelines with Vice Provost for Student Life Jeanne Rosenberger back in 2003.

It cannot be spent on anything that would further their curriculum, said Gray, so as not to "create a false sense of reality" for future administrations. Last year, Associated Students spent their carryover funds on items like new chairs, a Dell computer, a wireless adaptor and a fire pit.

Woody said the carry-over fund is the result of a combination of efficient expenditures.

For example, whereas AS usually sends four or five people to an annual conference, last year only one student -- Julia Niles, was available to attend. Niles' trip cost only $600, as opposed to the $2,000 that will be spent this year, said Pluto.

In addition, AS saved a large sum on accommodations for the annual AS retreat last year through the connection of a member's family friend who owned and operated a retreat house in Santa Cruz.

Last year, a large number of seniors attended senior ball, which brought in more revenue than they expected.

Another component to the large carry-forward fund can be traced back to the amendment made to the student constitution two years ago, said Assistant Vice Provost for Student Life Matt Cameron.

Previously, each class had a system of officers -- including a president and vice president -- each with its own budget. That system was abolished and replaced by the current committee system, with one committee for each class, all under the umbrella of Associated Students.

To accommodate the new system in its first year, AS was allocated a large budget by the student activities fee committee, which draws a budget for all eight chartered student organizations and a separate budget for school clubs, said Cameron.

Beginning in the 2006-2007 fiscal year, AS received a $7,700 budget increase to support the new class committee system, said Gray. The total AS budget for 2006-2007 was $105,440.

Without a track record to compare to, it can be hard to judge, said Cameron, who added that ideally clubs end the year having spent all their money with no carry-forward and no deficit.

The task force will meet periodically over the coming weeks in order to come up with ideas for before the Oct. 17 deadline. AS is also open to suggestions on how to use the money from the rest of the student body, Woody said.

Ultimately the decision lies with Rosenberger and Cameron, who have the final say on carry-forward purchases.

Contact Richard Nieva at (408) 554-4546 or rnieva@scu.edu.