The Ways and Means Committee was established to propose yearly budgets to individual RSOs under the condition each yearly committee decides. This proposal is then given to the SGA to approve, then the Vice Chancellor for approval. At this point the formal proposal is then sent to the Board of Trustees for final approval and allocation of funds.

Meeting Time:




According to the SGA By-Laws the Ways and Means Committee shall:

"1. Provide for the appointment of at least fve (5) ex-offcio members who shall be members of Registered Student Organizations.

2. Review and recommend to the Senate, legislation relating to Title VI of the By-laws of the SGA.

3. Formulate the Proposed Annual SGA S-1 Budget Act.

4. Assist the Secretary of Finance in the effective implementation Acts of the SGA within the Committee's jurisdiction"
[T2,C31,S2]

The Ways and Means Committee was established to hand out yearly budgets to individual RSOs under the condition each yearly committee decides. Again, no two committees are the same from year to year and again these are just recommendations. In a perfect world the Committee would have an infinite amount of money so that mistakes would be less likely to occur. Of course this is not true and this process falls on each RSO to complete a proposed budget. The budget format changes as the Committee changes expectations. Generally speaking, the budgets are in Excel form and are handed out individually to groups after completing an RSO Budget Workshop. This section will hopefully give you more insight into the process as well as direction.

Steps

The Treasurer should sit down with his/her E-Board and think of where the RSO should be by the end of the following year. This is fairly hard to figure out, but there are steps to making this easier. When sitting down with the E-Board, the group should decide what is necessary to the group’s existence and what you do not need, but want. Work with the programs that were created this year in order to decide what is possible next year. To make the best schedule for next year, the treasurer should meet with the previous years’ treasurer. When making budget allocations, the Committee may need to cut down the budget for any number of reasons. In order for the Committee to make the best decision in what to possibly cut, rate your events or budget decisions and place those in the spreadsheet. The more you write, the better the Ways and Means Committee can serve the RSO. After completing the Budget Packet, return it to the Chair of the Ways and Means Committee in a timely fashion. This completes the process.

Down Falls

When making the budget there are many things that a treasurer should stay away from. The treasurer should not try to create the budget by themselves. This usually causes a disgruntled group for the following year. It is also best that the treasurer be someone, or work closely with someone who is going to be an active member of the group in the following year. The more people that are involved in the process, the less chance the group has to making small, but costly, mistakes. Complete a preliminary Budget Packet and go over it with the E-Board and the RSO’s advisor. Also it is essential that the treasurer keeps time and makes sure of deadlines, and the current cost of the items asked for. The RSO members would be frustrated if they are allocated 10 cents for Frisbees when the cost of a Frisbee is $5. Making sure these pitfalls do not occur can assure the best budget possible for the following year.

What Not to Ask For

1. This is a list of things not to ask for.
2. Travel, Food.
3. Payroll and other line items that do not go along with RSO status. (Lecturers, bands entertainment fall under the consultant line item)
4. A single event that uses more money than the rest of your groups expenses.
5. No T-shirts and other fundraising material. (That comes out of the group’s Revenue Account and proceeds go back to that account)
6. Telephone expenses if you do not have an office.
There are exceptions to these recommendations based on the group’s constitution and obligations.