By The Beacon Editorial Board
ASUP represents the student body on campus. It is our voice and our liaison to the university administration.
Their most substantial power is the ability to spend Student Government fees ($70 per student per semester) on Capital Improvements projects and provide funding for student clubs. In total the ASUP budget amounts to a pretty big chunk of change, approximately $200,000.
A big chunk of that (around $50,000) goes to CPB, an arm of the ASUP government that organizes large scale events. The rest goes to student clubs and services such as Espresso UP.
But not all clubs are created equal. Clubs that are more active on campus, visibly living out the school's mission and fund raising independently for their events are more likely to get more funds. A club's size or needs are not big factors.
The ASUP senators make the tough decisions about how much money clubs get.
The fact is, only 25.9 percent of the student body voted on those senators. If students care about how much money their clubs receive they should vote! Senators gain a great amount of responsibility spending our tuition dollars, yet many of them run unopposed.
Clubs must apply for funds each semester, listing the intentions for the money they are requesting. It is to a club's advantage to plan ahead a semester or two for the events their club will take part in.
In addition, it is to a club's advantage to get to know ASUP senators, the executive board and familiarize itself with the process. When the budget is first released it is not final. Clubs that feel unsatisfied with the amount of money they receive should contest it at the senate meetings that follow the release of the budget.
But here's the tough part: clubs must say from what club they think their extra money should be taken and why their club deserves it more.
Student clubs may question the allocation of funds, wondering why some clubs get more than others. Ultimately, clubs must remember that the budgeting process is a long one, and there are many opportunities for clubs to fight for more funds. Budget negotiations can take so long that they are sometimes stretched over three senate meetings.
Student clubs that wish to receive more funding should keep track of their activities, especially ones that live out the University's mission, and start fund raising for themselves. Their initiatives may be met with money.
