Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

SAC Distributes Half of Funds

SAC SAC Distributes Half of Funds 56 Organizations Receive Over $100K By Amanda McGrath Hoya Staff Writer

The Student Activities Commission distributed over half of the funds earmarked for student groups and activities during the Budget Allocation Group weekend held before spring break. The GUSA Assembly approved the preliminary distributions at its meeting last Tuesday.

“The BAG weekend was held the Friday and Saturday before spring break,” Meghan Gallagher (COL ’02), chair of SAC, said. “Each SAC organization presents a budget for the 2002-2003 fiscal year,” she said. SAC is composed of undergraduate students appointed by the GUSA president and approved by the GUSA Assembly. SAC oversees student clubs, performing arts, media groups, club sports, religious groups and service organizations on campus and acts as an advisory board to the administration.

“GUSA has to approve the budget because it appoints SAC,” Gallagher said.

Gallagher said $106,411 of the $207,942 in funding allocated for student groups was distributed during BAG weekend to the 56 organizations who submitted proposals. The remaining $101,531 will be distributed as more budget proposals are submitted from the other 24 SAC organizations through the end of the semester and the coming year.

“Basically, the biggest advantage to submitting your budget now is that you can start [activities] from the first day back at Georgetown, you can have events right away,” Gallagher said. “You can wait and submit your budget next year, but in that case you’ll have to wait until after SAC Fair to get started.”

The money allocated during BAG weekend is not the maximum amount each group will receive over the year. Gallagher said organizations submit proposals and requests for additional funds throughout the year as they plan events, speakers and conferences.

The budgets approved thus far ranged from $20 – the amount automatically allotted to every campus group for SAC Fair expenditures – to $4,382 given to S.T.O.P.

Gallagher also said $5,000 was allocated for a contingency fund to “assure fiscal responsibility.” She said the fund is established in case a club fundraising event, such as a dance, is unsuccessful, and also so that SAC is protected if it overspends its budget.

“The contingency fund is not touched at all,” Gallagher said. “If the sciences don’t work out right, the $5,000 is a safety net.”

An additional $5,000 was set aside as a reserve fund for spring 2003.

More to Discover