SGA seminar to explain student organization budgeting

A Student Government Association student organization funding seminar will take place Oct. 29 at 5 p.m. in MUC 216.

Senior Katie Staley, SGA’s business manager, will discuss how student organizations may become eligible for funding, restrictions on funding, how student organizations are reimbursed and how the budgeting process works.

Staley said she receives a lot of emails from student organizations regarding SGA funding, so she thought it would be beneficial to bring the information directly to them.

“There’s constant turnover of officers in student organizations,” Staley said. “People are always changing, especially if it’s a treasurer position or someone who handles the money.”

A basic understanding of the financial process is helpful to SGA officers and valuable for student organizations, she said.

“It’s really important for them to know what’s going on,” Staley said. “So a new treasurer or adviser of a student organization can really benefit from coming to this seminar.”

Because the seminar isn’t mandatory, Staley said she’s not sure how many students will attend. She sent out an email to student officers Oct. 20. Any student organization who receives funding or would like to receive funding next year is welcome to attend the meeting.

Staley believes the seminar will take about 30 minutes, depending on how many students ask questions.

Michelle Fostvedt, USD’s student services management analyst, will answer questions more specifically about how the reimbursement process works and how long it takes.

“She has a little bit more knowledge in that area than I do because she’s the one of the people that actually deals with the reimbursements themselves,” Staley said. “I’m going to have her come just to add a little expertise.”

Staley said she will also touch on what the budgeting committee likes to see from student organizations to better prepare them for the budgeting process next spring.

The official budgeting process for student organizations won’t take place until March, so more financial seminars will be offered in February. Staley said the Oct. 29 seminar is an opportunity for those who have questions or want to start thinking ahead.

“Sometimes people worry about how much money they’re going to get and how they can be viewed more favorably,” Staley said.