SGB resolution proposes new budget request policy

Student Government Board member Phil LaRue introduced a new resolution last night allowing… Student Government Board member Phil LaRue introduced a new resolution last night allowing some of Pitt’s largest and most influential student groups to submit supplemental budget requests throughout the year.

The groups — Asian Student Alliance, Black Action Society, Engineering Student Council, Interfraternity Council, National Pan-Hellenic Council, Nursing Student Association, Panhellenic Council, Resident Student Association and SGB — can only submit annual budget requests at this time.

Charlie Shull, Board president, said, “It makes it difficult for them to be able to plan every program specifically for the year.”

The annual budgets, which groups must determine early in the school year, include the entire money supply used for lectures and events hosted by the group for the school year.

Three groups wanted to change something they had previously requested for in the budget this year, he said.

However, because they are Student Affiliated Affairs Groups, they are unable to request a previously approved or denied line item, Shull said.

With the passing of the new resolution, the Board will then be able to hear for line items — part of the group’s annual budgets — that were previously reviewed, Shull said.

Voting of the resolution was postponed to allow for the public and Board members’ review.

The resolution will be submitted online for the public to view. Shull said the resolution online would serve as one more venue for people to look at, making it more convenient for them.

The Board meeting was lightly attended but did hear from Emma Oti, a freshman at Pitt.

Oti addressed the Board about her concern for the lack of housing and “viable options” offered to freshmen and sophomores-to-be.

Oti said, “It’s been very difficult finding housing, and the options that are available have been out of people’s price ranges.”

“It’s not only an issue of where [students are] going to live, but can I afford to live in the options that are presented to me,” Oti said, “and if not, what then am I left with?”

She asked for the Board to influence the administration to help fix the problem.

“Housing has continuously been the number one issue for students,” Shull said, “but it’s usually off-campus housing as far as what we hear in Student Government Board.”

Shull said he will research into the problem and talk with Panther Central.

Last night’s meeting was the shortest of the 2010 school year because the Board is in moratorium.

Allocations is not taking any requests until Monday.

Shull said Board proposals are due Friday at 5 p.m. Each Board member’s proposal represents a cohesive project of the research conducted and worked on for over a year.

Shull hopes the documents will be ready for submission to the appropriate administrators.

Committee performance reviews — gauging the effort of committee members — and proposals are due March 26.

The Board also announced budget appeals are due Sunday, March 28.