Student Union

Introduction

The General Budget outlines how the Student Activities Fee (SAF) will be spent during the upcoming year. Each student contributes to the SAF by paying an amount equal to 1% of tuition. This year, the SAF per student amounts to $394 resulting in a total budget of roughly $2.3 million. This money goes towards many important campus events and entities; it pays for WILD, comedy entertainment by the Campus Programming Council (CPC), concerts at the Gargoyle, and the budgets of around 250 student groups.

Approval

The General Budget must be passed by a two-thirds majority of both Senate and Treasury. This year, the budget was passed on the 13^th and 14^th of April, 2010 with all yes votes except 2 abstentions.

 

Women’s Building

In keeping with a major goal of the [ open ] slate, $5,000 was allocated towards the revitalization of the Women’s Building. Among other things, this money will be spent on buying new furniture, improving wireless access in the building, and installing a line for a campus card reader, to help support the cultural food cheap lunch.

More Student Input and Oversight over WILD, CPC shows, and Gargoyle Concerts

The large social events put on by Team 31, CPC, and the Gargoyle are incredible traditions that WashU students enjoy. These groups also receive a great deal of money for their large-scale programming: $459,039.56 this year, which is an increase of $28,457.56 from last year. In order to ensure that this money is spent wisely, and that these groups are held accountable for their successes and failures, this money was placed in the control of the Social Programming Board, a board made up of 3 appointed students, and a representative from each of the groups mentioned above. A new process for approving funds for talent will ensure that the programming from these groups will be the best yet!

Individual Appeals 

In keeping with the campaign promise of the [ open ] slate, and the constitutional amendment that passed, $30,000 was allocated towards an appeals account strictly for non-SU groups and individuals. A new process has also been conceived to accommodate these appeals, and ensure accountability.

Unprecedented Level of Funding for Student Groups

This year, the allocation to Category I and Category II student groups increased $74,129.19 (a 10% increase). With a $300,000 Treasury appeals account, your student activities fee can support the most ambitious of programming such as big, well-known speakers. With $517,000.00 for student groups to work with directly, your student activities fee will be supporting even better the astounding and diverse set of programming by our student groups.