Student Assembly Finance Commission
September 26th, 2005
5:00 p.m. — 6:00 p.m.
163 Day Hall

I. Call to Order

The Meeting was called to order at 5:00 p.m.

II. Roll Call

Commissioners

Angad Bhai, Jeffrey Cohan, Jillian Dorans, Michael Eisner, Liz Falcone, Erica Fischer, Lisa Gilbertson,Sorby Grant, Steve Hecht, David Lederman, Sean MacGregor, Raj Maniam, Scottie McQuilkin, Kate Miller, Nadia Ormsby, Spencer Pepper, Carlos Perez, Dana Sckolnick, Caitlin Shetter, Eric Schulman, Anastasiya Sidorva, Kate-Lynn Timmermans, Evan Walker, Marissa Wilson, Soyeon-Yu, Joey Zielinski

III. Business of the Day

Problems in Office / Schedule Changes

L. Falcone starts with a brief overview of Martin Lang’s absence. Because of Mr. Lang’s absence the office has to use last year’s database. The process of inputting all the budgets is very slow since there are 400 groups. She said that an email was sent out to explain the problems that are happening with allocations. People will still be asking, she mentioned, but please don not run around saying “Martin sucks”. Instead, she says, say it in a nicer way.

Q- Is Martin alive?

L. Gilbertson- Yes, we found out today he was alive.

J. Zielinski asked if the database was password protected.

L. Gilbertson answered that we hacked into it, but it is still dysfunctional.

L. Falcone said that nothing is even really there, and that the semester dates have to change due to these problems.

L. Falcone then moved on to some housekeeping things. She said that if people missed the budget hearings, they would be dealt with before fall break. She also asked that people keep up their attendance. Next she moved on to say that e-board had to redo 1/2 to 3/4 of the budgets because the rationales were bad, and many of the budgets were non-crucial e-board budgets. She said that the confusions were over very simple things that should not happen. Finally, she mentioned that everyone should go back read the handbook.

M. Wilson said that E-board budgets were put there also because people simply didn’t want to do the budget.

L. Gilbertson said that the office also found many budgets without allocation sheets.

K. Nadolny asked that people write down who wrote each rational for each budget.

K. Miller said that a large part of the problems were because commissioners didn’t have computers, and that the SAFC has many nuances that are hard to figure out.

L. Falcone next moved on to the changes in dates. She said that the allocations are supposed to come out September 28th, but there is only a 50% chance of that happening. Because of this dates are going to have to be changed. She talked about two schedules A and B. Schedule A (“Optimistic one”): Allocations available September 28th, hand-in/sign up for appeals by Friday the 30th, appeals would be Oct. 2 from 1pm-3pm, allocations would be from 3pm-5:30pm the same day, annual appeal sign-ups due by Oct. 12th at 4pm, those appeals would be heard from 6pm-8pm the same day, and allocations will be done from 8pm-9:30pm the same night. Schedule B (“Realistic one”): Appeal sign-ups due Oct. 4th, Appeal hearings would be Oct. 5th, and the allocations would be 6pm-9:30pm, annual appeal sing-ups and hearing would both be on Oct. 12th. She said that she would know by Sept. 27th, and that the e-board felt that fall budgets needed to know what money they had before fall break.

J. Zielinski asked if the e-board could keep the commissioners better updated.

L. Falcone said that they would try. She also asked that people not tell the groups that there are two situations (A or B). She also mentioned that policy changes will have to be pushed back two weeks, but that commissioners should make a list of problems they saw during budget hearings. Next she mentioned that office hours might not happen due to all of the problems in the office, so she asked that the commissioners email their groups and tell them to direct their questions toward herself or Mr. Lederman.

A. Sidorova said that maybe we should propose that groups propose their fall budgets in the spring.

K. Nadolny replied that this idea has been brought up before, but the logistics were a nightmare so it was rejected.

L. Falcone lastly mentioned that commissioner interview are coming up in the fall. She also mentioned that e-board elections are in four weeks, and to talk to a current e-board member if a person is thinking of running.

K. Nadolny added that new commissioners could run for e-board positions too.

IV. Meeting ended at 5:30 pm.

Respectfully Submitted,
Daniel Kantor
SAFC Clerk, Office of the Assemblies