Student Home— Wesleyan University

Resources Funding Requests

Because requesting funds for your student group can be a challenging task especially for new student group leaders, we are providing the following information to help you with the process. The WSA's Student Budget Committee (SBC) oversees the allocation of funds for all student groups officially recognized by COCo. They have to adhere to strict policies, criteria and procedures to ensure that funds are being allocated fairly and justly to a variety of Wesleyan student groups. Essentially, the SBC is here to assist student group leaders with any questions regarding the allocation process and works closely with the WSA Administrator and Student Activities staff in order to ensure that the events and experiences of the Wesleyan community are the best that they can be.

The following topics are explained in greater detail.

1. Student Activities Fee
2. SBC Allocation Process
3. SBC Budget Policies
4. SBC Allocation Criteria
5. SBC Transfer Requests
6. SBC Members
7. SBC Schedule
8. SBC Forms
9. Alternative Sources of Funding

Student Activities Fee

The Student Activities Fee (SAF) is a fee set by students to support student activities. The SAF constitutes the entire budget for the SBC throughout the year.

In short, the Student Activities Fee is the fee charged to every student, which is then put aside to support Wesleyan's student groups. For the 2006-07 Academic Year the SAF amounted to $214.00, a cost which is built into the tuition. Some simple math calculations show that the SAF adds up to nearly $580,000. Over the winter elections, however, the SAF was raised to $270 for the following academic year. This raise will provide for an extra $230,000 in the student budget. In comparison to other liberal arts colleges, Wesleyan's SAF amounts to a much larger pool of money set aside for student groups. So where does all the money go?

Part of the money goes towards the WSA "office budget," which includes the salary of our full time staff member, Lisa Hendrix, in addition to student salaries, maintenance costs of our copier, and other expenses. In addition, the Student Budget Committee funds the Film Series, part of the Crowell Concert Series, and The New York Times Readership Program. All remaining money is distributed among recognized student groups, including larger groups such as the Argus and WESU-FM.

SBC Allocation Process

The SBC Allocation Process consists of requesting funding from the Student Budget Committee.

At times, the allocation process can appear confusing, especially if you've never dealt with the SBC before. Please read through the following before you come in to request money.

How the registration and contact process works:

For a group to request money from the SBC, they first need to be registered by the Community Outreach Committee, or COCo. The next step is to fill out and turn in your SBC Contract, which can be found in the Forms section.

The person who signs the SBC Contract is considered the group's Financial Contact; this person is, by default, considered the treasurer for the group. This person will deal with the SBC for your group. This person will sign all documents for your group. Other people can come in to request money or contact us, but the Financial Contact must sign all request forms. When we send out emails to inform you of your allocation, we will send it to the Financial Contact.

Prior to requesting money:

Check out other sources of funding first. The SBC should be a student group's last resort for funding. Please look at our list of Alternative Sources of Funding and apply for other funds before you request an SBC allocation.

The SBC abides by a strict set of criteria. Please read through the criteria before you come in and make sure that your request meets all of the guidelines. When filling out your forms, it is favorable for you to be as detailed as possible (i.e. attach itemized lists, print-outs of where your figures come from, and anything and everything else that would eliminate ambiguity from your request).

Requesting Money:

The SBC has an online application which allows students to submit their funding requests electronically. The process is referred to as SBC Allocation Request. The online application is located in your e-portfolio; click on "My Student Portfolio", go to "Tools and Links", select "WSA Tools and Applications", select "SBC Allocation", then complete the form. The information will be forwarded electronically  to the SBC committee for evaluation and a meeting will be arranged and is required.

Sign up for a slot on the sign up sheet located in the reception area of the WSA Administrative Office.  The SBC will try to move through each group's hearing in a timely manner.

After the hearing, the SBC will contact you shortly after with their decision regarding your allocation decision, usually via electronic mail within a couple days of your hearing. You may also login to the Wesleyan Financial Inquiry system to check the SBC's decision as well.

Three things can occur with your request. The SBC will either defer, reject, or allocate money towards your group. If the SBC chooses to defer your request, you can still apply for this money at another date. If the SBC rejects your request, they will not reconsider it.

Claiming your electronic funds:

After the money is allocated, it is placed into your group account electronically. There are specific steps for requesting funds from your group accounts. Please consult the Managing Your Funds section for this information.

SBC Budget Policies

All Wesleyan Student Assembly funded groups must comply with the following conditions. Note: This information is listed on the SBC Contract and must be signed by your student group's Financial Contact Person. Then it should be submitted to the SBC.

1. The Budget Committee retains authority over the use of all allocated money for the entire period of this contract including the authority to call back any unused funds at any time, and may refuse any expenditure of money for any reason, which is subject to final approval by the WSA.
2. The SBC must be notified of ANY revenue made by WSA groups.
3. Please note that any agreement between a WSA-sponsored (funded or non-funded) group and an outside (or, in some cases, on-campus) music group, speaker, or vendor MUST be approved by the SBC or WSA Administrator (Lisa Hendrix) and by the Student Activities Director BEFORE any verbal agreement (i.e. by phone, fax, or email) or written agreement (contract) is sent or signed. Failure to abide by this regulation indicates that the sole responsibility for any damages incurred rests with the individual signing or agreeing verbally to the contract.
4. Furthermore, you should be aware that no group may maintain any outside account. Revenue from all events should be brought immediately to the WSA Office for deposit into your Income account. In the case that the office is closed, cash revenue may be taken to Public Safety (208 High Street) for temporary deposit and safekeeping. Ask the officer in charge to count the money and give you a receipt, then retrieve the money during WSA Office hours for deposit into your group account. AT NO TIME SHOULD CASH OR CHECKS BE PUT IN THE WSA MAIL SLOT OR UNDER THE DOOR, NOR SHOULD CASH BE KEPT IN YOUR ROOM. YOU WILL BE HELD PERSONALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY CASH OR CHECKS LOST BECAUSE YOU DID NOT FOLLOW THESE PROCEDURES.
5. All WSA groups must appoint a Financial Contact. All requests for money between groups should be approved in writing by the Financial Contact. The WSA reserves the right to deny any request on the basis that it is not signed by this person. The name of the Financial Contact must be registered with the WSA, and any change must be reported to the WSA Office and a new SBC contract must be signed.
6. To use any campus facilities, rent any equipment, etc., refer to the guidelines outlined in the Resource Manual for Student Groups (available online).
7. All co-sponsorships between groups must be approved by the SBC.
8. The WSA Administrator (Lisa Hendrix) must be notified as to the manner in which a student group's bills are to be paid. If the payment is a reimbursement to those persons who have money in advance in order to pay the bill themselves, an itemized receipt must be supplied. Forms for reimbursement are available in the WSA Office. Any group hosting a musical event or a speaker must supply the Social Security # and HOME address of the performer(s) to the WSA Office; this is in compliance with IRS regulations pertaining to Wesleyan as a non-profit institution. If the WSA is to pay the company or performer directly, we must have the original invoice or contract. All bills must be sent directly to WSA Office (190 High Street, Middletown, CT 06459), and NEVER to a student box. STUDENT, FACULTY OR STAFF PERFORMERS MUST BE PAID ON A PAYROLL FORM.
9. GROUPS WHO SPEND UNALLOCATED FUNDS OR MISUSE ALLOCATED FUNDS WILL BE UNDER PENALTY OF STUDENT JUDICIARY BOARD ACTION. Groups shall not incur debts in excess of their remaining funds, and ANY overspending shall be the personal liability of the signer of this contract. Should any overspending occur, the student group will be held responsible for the repayment of its debts from the previous year.
10. Groups who rent out Wesleyan venues for their event are responsible for any damages that may occur during their event. Financial repercussions will take place and will be extracted from the group's income account.
11. If a group's SBC or Income account has a deficit, the group is not entitled to any future funding until that debt is cleared.

SBC Allocation Criteria

The SBC will use the following criteria to evaluate your group's allocation request for funding. Before applying for funding, review the following.

1. The Student Budget Committee (SBC) strongly favors:
   1. Events that are open and advertised to as many Wesleyan students as possible.
   2. Groups that utilize alternative sources of funding. Please consult the Alternative Sources of Funding sheet for more information.
   3. Groups that have put on successful events in the past. The SBC will look at the past spending and efficiency of the group. These two factors are very important to the SBC's decision making process.
   4. Accurate requests. The SBC strongly discourages inflating numbers – keep in mind that students, not the administration, fund the SBC, and any inflated amount decreases the amount of money the SBC can allocate to other groups.
   5. Requests that are beneficial to the Wesleyan and Middletown communities.
   6. Requests that relate to the group's mission statement and goals.
   7. Requests that include all details associated with the event. The SBC wants student groups to be as specific as possible. Desired details include, but are not limited to, the dates of the event, specific costs and prices, venue, etc.
   8. Groups that use their budgets to contribute to their events. Throughout the year student groups may have a profit from various events. The SBC encourages student groups to spend that money on future events.
2. The Student Budget Committee does not fund the following:
   1. Groups which have not been recognized by the Community Outreach Committee.
   2. Events that violate University policy.
   3. Any request not received two weeks prior to the date of the event.
   4. Food and drink, unless it is for a catered event that will promote cultural awareness specifically related to your group's mission statement.
   5. Any retroactive request or reimbursement.
   6. Donations, gifts, and prizes.
   7. Any group with a charter outside the control of the students in the organization. The SBC will not fund any organization in which students do not have full self-determination in defining the organization. This includes, but is not limited to, Greek organizations, academic classes, political organizations, and groups with a predominantly non-student membership. If the event in question is co-sponsored, SBC will consider funding it.
   8. Program Houses. Exceptions are possible if the Office of Residential Life contributes money or if the Program House's event directly benefits the greater Wesleyan community, not just the members of the house.
   9. Performances or travel expenses for college students from other universities or honoraria for Wesleyan students.
   10. Any organization that does not abide by the WSA's non-discriminatory clause, unless exclusion is central to the purpose and functioning of the organization.
   11. Trips that occur over a break, with some exceptions. Groups seeking to go on trips over breaks should seek alternate sources of funding.
   12. Alcoholic beverages, spirits, tobacco products, controlled or illegal substances.
   13. Facilities and/or maintenance upgrades.
   14. The WSA; any funds required by the WSA must be procured from the WSA Office budget at the discretion of the WSA Administrator.

Note: The SBC Allocation Criteria does not take into account race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, color, age, creed, national or ethnic origin, political affiliation, or handicap of any group sponsor or event participant.

Transfer Requests

All types of transfers must be signed by the authorized group representative (the Financial Contact) and approved by the SBC. You must complete the Transfer Request form; place it in the SBC mailbox, and notify your SBC contact person that you are making a transfer request to move funds. Please note that this does not guarantee that your transfer request will be approved. When transfers take place, no actual check or cash is transferred. It will take the WSA Office 2 to 3 business days to process an approved request. The amounts are just credited/debited to and from accounts electronically. Forms for transfer requests are available at the WSA Office or on the WSA website.

There are three kinds of transfers you can make:

1. Between WSA groups;
2. Between a WSA group and another university department or office;
3. Within your group, from one sub-account to another.

SBC Members

Student groups are divided into several categories. Each category is overseen by one SBC member. You can contact the SBC Chair or the SBC member who represents your category, if you have questions regarding your budget.

SBC Member	Email	Group Category
TBA		Activism
TBA		Identity
Chris Goy	rgoy@wesleyan.edu	Other
TBA		Performance
TBA		Program House
TBA		Publications
TBA		Sports

SBC Schedule

Recognized student groups are eligible to submit funding requests during the SBC Weekly Meetings. Each student group must have a designated Financial Contact person, who should be aware and informed of all dealings with the SBC. The Financial Contact is not required to be present at hearings every time the group requests money, but s/he must sign off on every form the group submits. The Financial Contact also has access to the group's financial account information through his/her e-portfolio.

Fall 2008 Weekly SBC Hearings Schedule

Note: This schedule can be subject to change without prior notice.

• Allocation Dates will be posted at the beginning of the fall semester.

SBC Forms

The SBC has a variety of forms to assist student group leaders with the allocation process. These forms are separate from WSA Office forms and can be found here.

Alternative Sources of Funding

The SBC frequently asks groups to seek alternative sources of funding for their events. In general, the SBC prefers that groups look to other University departments before applying to the SBC. There are various sources of funding on campus that give money according to certain criteria (this may vary from department to department). Click on the following PDF file for further information. Place link to PDF file here.