The Observer, October 13, 2006
Volume XXXIX, Issue 7
USG explains Catalyst funding denial
Letter to the Editor
The USG Finance Committee felt it was necessary to explain the situation brought up by Catalyst last week. USG funded a Case Right to Life trip to Washington, D.C., but denied a request by Catalyst to attend a protest in Georgia. The policy in question involves funding transportation for student organizations.
We are committed to on-campus events that allow for greater student participation and involvement. The committee does not fund transportation to off campus events, with a few exceptions. If the Finance Committee funded all requests for transportation, a large portion of the students' dollars would be devoted to funding off-campus events. Catalyst was funded for an on-campus awareness campaign, instead of the off-campus protest.
Further, the Right to Life trip was a joint program with a number of other local organizations, including students from John Carroll University, who organized the trip. We did not fund them to charter a bus or pay for gas money, only the fee to participate in the trip. Transportation was only one of costs covered by this fee. The Catalyst request was only for transportation costs.
The Finance Committee values detailed event planning. Although Catalyst was organizing the event, they did not provide any details about transportation, lodging, or food. They requested this event last year, were not funded, and did not take advantage of the appeals process open to all organizations. Appeals are designed to allow organizations to better explain their event costs. This semester, Catalyst requested the same event without providing any additional information. Once again, they did not appeal the decision. The Finance Committee did not feel comfortable funding this event without more details.
Most importantly, the Finance Committee is dedicated to unbiased funding. Political views are never a consideration. Requests are only evaluated against the impartial objectives of the student government, not our individual beliefs.
The committee is devoted to improving our funding policies. This semester we introduced a new handbook, containing a summary of our policies. We are constantly reviewing those policies for consistency and benefit to the student body. We encourage students to provide feedback on all of our policies. The Finance Committee is entrusted with an important but difficult process, and we always hope to preserve the trust of the students.
USG Finance Committee
