USG, BSA debate spring funding allocation
The Undergraduate Student Government Senate voted Tuesday to provide additional funding to the Black Student Assembly after members of the cultural group voiced concerns regarding spring funding at a Senate meeting.
Each assembly and committee within USG receives a budget for the academic year at the beginning of fall semester. In the spring, the USG Budget Allocation Committee typically also provides additional funding due to the influx of spring admits. Currently, the committee is led by President Debbie Lee, Vice President Blake Ackerman, Senior Director of Programming Keisuke Fujiwara, Speaker Pro Tempore Matthew Crane and Treasurer Hunter Quartieri.
According to a USG Spring Over Enrollment Allocation document, USG proposed that approximately $617,500 be allocated to assemblies and committees last fall. BSA’s total budget for the academic year was $74,000. Additional funding increased BSA’s budget by $2,500 for the spring. But according to BSA co-director Mae Gates, BSA initially requested $9,500 in additional funding for the spring.
“What BSA is currently allocated is not equitable and needs to change,” Gates said. “Black students deserve the rights for equitable programming.”
This $2,500 increase in funding is the lowest of any organization included in the USG programming allocations.
For example, the Asian Pacific American Student Assembly and the Queer & Ally Student Assembly received $12,000 and $3,000 in additional funding, respectively.
According to BSA, the organization projected they would need a total of $8,963 for spring events and programming.
“We’re very, very spring heavy,” BSA co-director Nia Warren said. “We’re really relying on this extra money. This isn’t us trying to use it for thrills.”
BSA has a series of large events planned for the spring, including the Mahogany Ball, Black Grad and Gearfest.
During the open discussion, Gates said BSA may have to cancel events this semester if the budget is not readjusted.
“We do have a lot of money at USC … looking at how much need there [is], we don’t have enough to fund every single group,” Fujiwara said. “I want everyone to understand that a compromise was inevitable … I know the struggle of being [in] a marginalized community.”
USG allocates funds from its budget to cultural assemblies based on the assemblies’ fall spending records. According to Lee, the budget committee refers to invoices from cultural assemblies for future events and costs and considers consistency in previous financial documentation provided by cultural assemblies when deciding how to allocate funds.
“Something that was a heavy factor in our budget consideration was looking at how the groups demonstrated that they were able to meet their Fall 2018 threshold,” Lee said. “We recognize that there were some groups that really didn’t quite meet that threshold of what they projected to spend.”
Gates initially expressed concern over bias within the budget allocation committee.
“I think right now we have an opportunity to amend what needs to be amended,” Gates said. “Hopefully make sure that USG shows … that black students deserve the equitable right to have that equitable programming.”
After holding a two-hour open forum with meeting attendees, senators held four separate votes to decide whether or not to increase BSA’s funding.
By the end of the meeting, they agreed to grant BSA $4,000 from USG’s Professional and Academic Fund and $2,000 from the Discretionary Fund, in addition to the initial $2,500 allocated for the semester.
At the conclusion of the meeting, BSA’s spring funding increased an additional $6,000 to a total of $8,500.
“As BSA co-director, this is a compromise that we are comfortable making,” Gates said. “I appreciate the time, I appreciate the thoughts, I appreciate all my assembly members and everyone gathered … for this.”