All Syracuse University student organizations will now have to attend fiscal agent training if they want to submit a budget proposal to the Student Association.

A bill was passed at the SA meeting Monday night that implemented this revision to the Student Activity Fee Financial Code.

‘In past semesters we’ve had trouble with the budget process,’ said Robel Yemiru, the association’s parliamentarian. ‘This is a small piece of change we think will help the overall process.’

There will now be four fiscal agent training seminars offered before any given budgeting season, one of which the president or financial representative from every student organization will have to attend. If an organization is not represented at one of the seminars, they will not be able to submit a budget proposal.

Lilly Mei, SA’s comptroller, said fiscal agent training is required of every member of the Finance Board. It is the general consensus of the assembly that this change will help student organizations understand the budgeting process, and the Finance Board’s decisions, more clearly.

Another big change Monday was president of SA, Larry Seivert, reinstating the position of chief-of-staff to the assembly to assist him this session.

A bill brought before the entire assembly sought revision to SA’s operations code stating, ‘The President shall appoint a Chief-of-Staff who will be responsible for coordinating the efforts of all Committee Chairs and Cabinet officers.’ Seivert’s choice for the position is Helene Kahn, a junior in the College of Arts and Sciences.

Erik Bortz, SA vice president, voiced his support for Seivert’s decision.

‘I think that everyone should be reminded that whenever you can serve students, it’s an honor and a privilege, not a right,’ Bortz said. ‘Helene understands that, and she’s tough.’

SA has not seen a chief-of-staff since the organization’s 50th session. When Ryan Kelly became SA president in 2007, he did away with the position. Seivert brought it back because he said the position can be used for greater communication within the organization, and he wants to get as much done in this session as possible.

‘I want to make sure we’re communicating internally to produce externally,’ Seivert said.

Two more bills brought before the assembly stirred up a debate based on the amount of money the Finance Board was looking to allot to the respective organizations.

Fashion’s Conscience, Lambda Sigma Upsilon, and Stitch Society all collaborated to present their request of $22,000 to fund the ‘Lights, Camera, Fashion’ fashion show. Though the Finance Board recommended the assembly approve the funding, the bill did not pass, and the event will not be funded.

The Finance Board said it felt it was a good idea to fund because it was a good representation of collaboration, a concept that SA was trying to promote in the budget process this previous semester. Many members of the assembly voiced their concern that so much money was to be spent on an event that did not cater to a large enough portion of the university.

The assembly also denied the Caribbean Students Association request for $13,710. The money was going to be put towards the Caribbean Awareness Showcase, one of the events to be included in a week of festivities centered on better understanding the Caribbean culture and music.

Kahn recognized that the organization had tried to seek funding for the same event during the budget process, and had now re-worked their request to make it look like more than a concert.

‘This directly violates the fact we cannot fund a bill in special programming that was denied in the regular budget season,’ Kahn said. ‘It’s the same exact thing with a different name.’

The money requested would pay for a musical artist, as well as their lodging and catering, Mei said. The Caribbean Students Association had plans to collaborate with other organizations once they had the funding, Mei added.

In the corner of the student audience, a female student shook her head with a disproving look on her face as the bill failed.

‘The decisions we make in this hall affect everyone,’ Bortz told the assembly. ‘Remember that when you accept or reject anything.’

mequalte@syr.edu

Published on February 2, 2009 at 12:00 pm