Student Assembly Finance Commission
April 24th, 2006
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

Adam Castle, Jeffrey Cohan, Jillian Dorans, Liz Falcone, Erica Fischer, Colin Heath, Jennifer Hsu, Brittni Levinson, Kim Lewis, Scottie McQuilkin, Nadia Ormsby, Spencer Pepper, Eric Schulman, Anastasiya Sidorova, Riti Singh, Kate-Lynn Timmermans, Evan Walker, Marissa Wilson, Joey Zielinski, Luke Chernosky, Mary DePalma, Alex Saltman

III. Business of the Day

Policy Issues — Voting on President and Treasurer’s Handbook

E. Fischer started out the meeting by thanking everyone for attending the interviews. She also mentioned that the new members will be present at the next meeting.

S. McQuilkin said that today the SAFC will vote on all of the President and Treasurer’s Handbook (P&T) changes. She also mentioned that the there was a problem with the Society of Women and Law. They apparently forged a signature on a form and were caught. Their case was sent to the JA’s office who recommended that nothing happen. Ms. McQuilkin suggested that the SAFC come up with its own punishment.

A. Castle asked how it happened.

S. McQuilkin said that the group sent an email admitting it to the SAFC by accident. She also mentioned that the president (the signature that was forged) was not out of town or unreachable.

K. Timmermans said that the SAFC should punish them next semester also.

S. McQuilkin suggested that the group not get funding for the pre-law journals they requested and that the group be put on probation for next semester.

VOTE: Not let the group get journals and be on probation — 18. Opposed — 0, Abstain — 0. PASSES.

J. Zielinski introduced the P&T changed and said that he would be going over them very briefly as they have been thoroughly covered already.

VOTE: President and Treasurer’s Test must be taken every semester. PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.

VOTE: Not accepting anything late. PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.

J. Zielinski presented the idea of semester budgets instead of annual ones.

S. McQuilkin said that this would close off some of the loop holes that groups were exploiting.

A. Sidereal said that she thought this was bad for very organized groups and also does not promote groups being organized and planning ahead.

A. Castle asked about the window in-between the fall and semester budgets and what groups were going to do during that time.

S. McQuilkin said that it was very small window that would not affect many groups.

L. Chernosky said he thought that this change did not penalize groups and would be good for the SAFC.

A. Sidereal said that this would make it easier on the SAFC but not on the groups.

S. McQuilkin said that this would also make the cuts each semester more even.

M. Wilson said that there will be a backlash from this change.

VOTE: Only semester budgets — 18, Allow annual budgets — 4, Abstain — 0. PASSES.

J. Zielinski briefly discussed price quotes and what constitutes them.

M. DePalma asked about luxury items.

S. McQuilkin said that since that was such a rare case, and the fact that that clause is already in the P&T handbook, that the SAFC let it go.

VOTE: New definition of price quote. PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.

VOTE: New definition of documentation. PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.

VOTE: Cap of 1000 copies for administrative category. PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.

VOTE: Stop paying for phone expenses. PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.

J. Zielinski said that another change would be the SAFC not funding for events unless proof of availability of venue was given.

R. Singh said that she had heard of a group signing a legally binding contract with a venue to give proof once, and the SAFC didn’t fund them, putting them in trouble.

L. Falcone said that she was concerned that groups would make those contracts, and she thought that the SAFC should put a clause stating that the groups do not have to sign a contract for proof of availability.

M. Wilson said that the SAFC should put a clause saying that actual reservation was “preferred”.

C. Heath suggested that groups should get a reservation for free venues, and just prove that a venue is available when they charge money.

VOTE: SAFC will not fund unless proof of venue availability is given.. PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.

VOTE: SAFC will not fund for speaker if proof of the speaker is not given. PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.

VOTE: Groups must have SAFC letter of intent form or a legal contract with speakers if the engagement fee is over $500. . PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.

VOTE: SAFC will not fund for office supplies. PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.

VOTE: Groups must provide proof that a book is not in the library system. PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.

VOTE: The SAFC needs official documentation for travel events requiring more than 4 participants. PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.

VOTE: The SAFC will only fund for one travel even per priority with the exception of competitive clubs. PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.

J. Zielinski proposed cutting co-organized events entirely and mentioned that the pros of it would be cuts being smaller and it makes a lot less work for everyone. He said the cons of it would be that groups could not really work together as much.

A. Castle asked if the groups could instead get a co-org event but lose a priority.

S. McQuilkin said that it would be too difficult to implement.

R. Singh said that she believed it would take away too much from groups and would give them incentives to find loop holes.

S. McQuilkin said that groups could still apply for it individually, and this would decrease the caps and cuts significantly.

VOTE: Keep Co-organized budgets — 8, Cut Co-organized budgets — 8. DOES NOT PASS.

VOTE: New expansion of co-organized events section and limits groups to one co-organized event per semester. PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.

S. McQuilkin said that the SA will be meeting this Thursday and they will be proposing a couple of things that will affect the SAFC. She said that one thing was changing the byline funding increases to only be based upon the change in Cornell population. She also said that the SA will vote on duplicate groups in two weeks. Lastly she said that if anyone had any ideas on duplicate groups they should email her with the groups name and why.

IV. Meeting ended at 6:00 pm.

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