After being proposed to Senate on May 9, the Associated Students of Linfield College’s $375,000 Budget for the 2011-12 academic year underwent several changes at the May 16 Senate meeting.

The changes that were made were a $3,000 cut from the Capital and Equipment Fund, a $2,000 cut from Intramural sports and a $500 cut from General Management (GM). The combined $5,500 was moved to the Student Center’s budget. By the end of the changes, GM had $72,652.21 left, IM sports had $13,000 left and the Capital and Equipment Fund had $19,000 left. However, the Student Center received a total of $24,119.05.

ASLC Business Manger sophomore Tylor Edison said that after being proposed, the budget went to Senate’s Club Support and Finance Committee. The committee decided to submit a change to the budget for $3,000 to be moved from the new Capital and Equipment Fund to the Student Center.

“If senators want to talk budget that’s great,” ASLC President junior Rachel Coffey said. “Students should know where their fees are going.”

Coffey said that everyone who submitted a budget received cuts but that there was a natural 7 percent increase in student body fees overall.

“I wish we had taken out work study when looking at it [the budget] because once you take out work study, you get a better perspective,” Coffey said.

Junior Katie Patterson proposed the $2,000 cut from the IM sports fund as an amendment for the original motion to cut $3,000 from the Capital and Equipment Fund. Her argument for the Student Center’s increased budget was that all year students have voiced that they want a student union; however, the Student Center is already available to them so it only makes sense to revamp it. This would require additional funding since the Student Center budget originally received less money this year than last year.

“It’s hard to say who needs the money because we want to improve all areas,” Coffey said. “If students want a new center that’s great, but any time you give money you have to take away from somewhere.”

Another argument made during Senate for IM sports’ budget cut was that this year’s budget will still have money left over by the end of the academic year.

“I don’t think that it was a good choice to take from IM sports because most of the money that didn’t get used was for work study that didn’t get filled out,” Edison said in an email. “I think that there could be a potential problem next year if everyone takes advantage of these paid positions.”

Coffey said that the old Cabinet member is supposed to assist the new member when designing budgets because the new person doesn’t know how things will work based off of the previous year.

“It wouldn’t be impossible for IM sports to receive extra funds if they run out of money and it’s an emergency, but it’s not ideal and we don’t like to be in the negative,” Coffey said.

Coffey said that the Capital and Equipment Fund was created so that clubs could acquire the equipment that they need since the Activities Council does not grant such things. Coffey said that she and sophomore Thomas Bryan, ASLC vice president of business and finance wanted to ensure a way for clubs to receive this money since certain clubs need more than others, such as Lacrosse. Other clubs that fall under this fund are the Linfield Ultimate Players Association (LUPA), Rugby Club, Tennis Club and Water Polo.

“Budgeting this year was interesting being on the other side of things, and it was a good experience; but, I wasn’t expecting Senate to run that long,” Coffey said. “It was the first time in a few years that there was a long debate and new proposal given at Senate.”

Apart from additional monies allocated to the Student Center, the Republican Club was de-chartered during the meeting so its allocated $60 went back into the Club Fund.

This year, Coffey said she opted to raise club funds by $10. She said she realizes that it isn’t a large amount, but in the past clubs were given $100 each. However, allocating club funds becomes problematic when one has to take into account that not all clubs are spending their funds, Coffey said.

“Everyone has all of these great ideas, and then there are budget cuts and you have to pick and choose,” she said. “But, I have a lot of faith in all of my Cabinet members, and I look forward to the great things that they will do next year.”

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Jessica Prokop/Editor-in-chief
Jessica Prokop can be reached at [email protected].