The Facts: Student organization requests for Student Government appropriations are due Jan.29. In past years, the process has left many within SG and student organizations frustrated.
Our Opinion: The appropriations process serves an important role for student groups at N.C. State. Student Government must make every possible accommodation to facilitate the process. Likewise, SORC must step into a better educational role that informs organizations on the process and encourages cooperation with SG.
As N.C. State emerges from her winter slumber, another kind of holiday giving looms just around the corner. During the next 16 days, student organizations on campus have an opportunity to voice their case for a share of Student Government’s $66,291 in spring appropriations.
The funding process, which has the potential to provide a major source of funding for clubs and other groups on campus, is a major benefactor to the University community despite its perceived inefficiencies.
According to Jackie Smith, president pro tempore of the Student Senate, Student Government is making an effort this semester to advertise more and communicate through SORC to campus’ organizations so that the allotted funds are adequately distributed.
This hasn’t always been the case in the past. During the fall appropriations period, many student groups lost funding consideration because their applications were not properly filled-out — a point of curiosity considering that a Student Senator sponsors every student organization’s appropriations bid.
Student Government blames this discrepancy on organizations that file too closely to the appropriations deadline — Jan.29 for the spring semester.
Surely, though, SG should take a significant portion of the blame. The University has myriad organizations that would like funding and are not receiving it. Whether it’s the Senate’s fault, or not, failing to appropriate even a small portion of that funding — as occurred in the fall semester — reeks of mismanagement.
Incompetence on the part of senators, ineffective organizational assistance from SORC or sloth from the organizations, should not hinder the flow of campus appropriations.
As the deadline for organizational appropriations quickly draws closer, SG needs to remember the important administrative function it serves for campus groups. The fee appropriations process should require difficult decisions, debate and thoughtful conversation on the part of appropriators. Having funds left over at the end of the session is simply unacceptable.
The deadline for appropriations requests may be intractable as far as Student Government is concerned; so be it. But under no circumstance should organizations be punished for failing to expertly fill out the required documentation before the deadline. If the effort was there, SG must endeavor to accommodate every request and give out all of its appropriations allocations, especially in this sour economy.
