SOBAC works to improve request process

The Student Organization Budget Appropriations Committee (SOBAC) is working with student activities to improve the funding process for student organizations after deadline confusion last spring and flat-lined funding led to widespread budget cuts.

The SOBAC funding application process begins in the spring, Max Vest, director of student activities, said. The process includes completing a form outlining operating, travel and on-campus event expenses and a budget overview. Then, club leaders have to complete an online ethics test, Vest said.

Only 14 of the 70 organizations signed the form on time, Vest said. Depending on how late they were, these clubs received a 10 to 20 percent cut in their allocation, with the understanding that they could go back and request it in the fall, he said. The SOBAC leaders sent out emails reminding groups to complete the test and other small documents, and by the fourth round we got everybody, Vest said.

The forms went out soon after clubs had elected new officials, and the budget hearings ended right before finals last spring, which brought quite a bit of confusion, Vest said.

"The process takes from about 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. two nights and another three- or four-hour meeting to actually allocate," he said. "It's a long process and if we can do it a little sooner that would help a lot."

Anthony Crenshaw, the new assistant director for student organizations and leadership development, said he hoped his position would increase communication between SOBAC and student activities.

"In this position, what I'm really trying to do is make sure that not only do we have a process that works for student organizations, but one that they can understand," he said.

During the last eight years, the university has gone from having about 30 groups to about 70, and there has been no increase in the amount allotted for funding in the last three or four years, Vest said. This means SOBAC has been making stricter decisions based on the mid-year budget reviews, he said.

Junior Hannah Goodman, treasurer of the Westhampton College Government Association, and senior Ethan Wilson, vice president of finance for Richmond College Student Government Association are co-chairmen of SOBAC.

Wilson said the committee members were impressed when an organization had followed guidelines and came ready to answer questions during the presentation to the committee, but were disappointed when an organization was obviously unprepared.

Junior Jonathan Fagan, treasurer of the American Chemical Society, said his organization had received 90 percent of its allocation because of confusion about the deadlines, but that this amount was not even half of what the organization had asked for. The club didn't use all of its funds last year, but it had a new president and treasurer who were looking to make the club more prevalent on campus by planning events to raise student and teacher awareness, which required more money, he said.

Fagan said he understood that SOBAC had a lot of other clubs to consider, but he still would have appreciated more money.

"It's one of those things that personally, we felt that our club may have been a little short-sighted as far as there are things that we're attempting to do and are physically limited because we don't have the funds," he said.

The SOBAC co-chairmen said they were not allowed to comment on any trends in organizations that had received more funding.

"The major trend is that all organizations want an increase in funding for the next year, and that's across the board," Goodman said.

Sometimes it came down to, "Do we give them $50 or not?" which may seem small, but it could really make a difference to some organizations, she said.

Student Organizations requested $307,827 in funding last year, 42 percent more than the available $216,758 allotted by WCGA and RCSGA, Crenshaw said.

Clubs can get funding from the Richmond and Westhampton College deaneries, student activities, the Office of Multicultural Affairs, Common Ground and the Center for Civic Engagement, and can also apply for department funding, Vest and Goodman said.

"There are many places on campus, but I think one of the things we've been working with Max [Vest] and Anthony [Crenshaw] on is to increase the awareness of that," Goodman said. Crenshaw said that it was important for groups that had a common purpose, to collaborate, and student activities has been working on providing mechanisms for these groups to pair up.

Junior Elliott Walden, the University of Richmond College Republicans chairwoman, said in an email that she had no complaints about SOBAC. They did not receive any additional funding this year because the club's previous leaders failed to use the funding they had received from SOBAC, Walden said.

"This year, our club is much more active and has been growing at a rapid pace; therefore, we plan to rely on the money that we were given by SOBAC for the previous year, as well as to supplement that with donations and fundraising events," she said.

When asked how the process may look different this spring, Wilson said: "I think Anthony's position is going to play a very important role in the whole reformation of the SOBAC funding process. I'm looking forward to making it a lot more fluid."

Contact staff writer Taylor Cloonan at taylor.cloonan@richmond.edu.