Editorial : Effectiveness of SA’s financial vision remains unclear until after appeals meeting
One of Student Association President Neal Casey’s most defined campaign promises, a new financial vision, intended to streamline the budget process for both student organizations requesting funds and the Finance Board. This reconfiguration marked one of the first things the new administration, in collaboration with the Finance Board, addressed when returning this semester.
On Monday, student organizations and the assembly gathered in Maxwell Auditorium to approve and discuss the allocated funding for the fall. It was the public’s first chance to witness the effectiveness of the new, more specific financial vision. The length of the meeting — 45 minutes — indicates a significant change from recent semesters, which saw four-hour-long deliberations that left some organization members and SA members frustrated and worn-out.
Although Monday’s meeting appeared to be a step in the right direction, the coming weeks will reveal if Casey’s financial vision will be a sustainable, long-term solution to the budget woes of recent years. SA allocated a significant portion of next fall’s funding for appeals. With so much money left, organizations that didn’t receive funding on Monday had less reason to worry or rush to express their concerns.
With a budget half the size of the total funding requests, SA will likely deal with some disappointed organizations when the process is complete in a few weeks. Only once the appeals process is finished will the true effectiveness of this year’s financial vision reveal itself.
