By Laura Sanicola
Following a series of articles by The Fordham Ram regarding the Spring 2015 budget allocations and its effects on student life, $67,000 in funds will become available to student clubs starting next budget day, according to an email addressed to club leaders on Saturday.
The email, signed by Budget Committee voting member Thomas Roemer, GSB ’15, stated that the money the Budget Committee would begin accepting appeals for new funding on Orgsync starting on Monday evening.
The Office of Student Leadership and Community Development informed the Budget Committee of the additional funding, the email stated.
The availability of the $67,000 follows initial budget allocations made on Budget Day in December, which left some clubs virtually without funding for the Spring 2015 semester. Such clubs include Slainte: Fordham Irish Dance, which received no money for the semester, and the College Republicans and College Democrats, which each received $100 dollars.
Alanna Nolan, assistant dean for community leadership and development, told The Fordham Ram this month that the amount of money collected for club funding is often different than the estimates used on Budget Day, for “once the enrollment number is finalized in the semester, the remaining funds are provided to the Budget Committee during the semester.” This discrepency between estimated and finalized funding affects the amounts initially allocated.
For the Spring 2015 semester, 77 clubs requested close to $760,000, or about $300,000 more than the amount of funding available.
In addition to the bi-annual budget day, the budget committee hosts open meetings each week to consider appeals for funds. Leaders of non-referendum clubs must outline the amount of money they wish to appeal for specify the way the additional resources will be used. So far, clubs such as Fordham Flava, the Satin Dolls and El Grito de Lares have been successful in obtaining funds through the appeals process in January.
The appeals will be reviewed at the next budget committee meeting this Wednesday, Feb. 25.
