Anna DinndorfOne percent doesn’t often amount to much. In Student Union’s case, however, they find a way to stretch it.
The Student Activities Fee, set annually at one percent of the cost of tuition, funds the entirety of Student Union-sponsored events. From W.I.L.D. to Bauhaus to Diwali to any number of smaller events, Student Union (SU) makes a large impact on the lives of Washington University students.
This year, some 5,800 undergraduates paid a Student Activities Fee of $328, generating more than $1.9 million in operating funds for SU. And, although SU makes its budget records publicly available, many students still wonder where their money goes.
The answer is that a great number of the student-run events that take place on campus are, at least in part, funded by Student Union. Campus Y, EST and Wash. U. Build are among the groups for whom funds are annually earmarked.
Social programming groups, including Filmboard, Campus Programming Council and Team 31, operate based on SU funding. CPC runs the weekly Happy Hour event in Bowles Plaza, while Team 31 is the group responsible for planing and organizing the twice-yearly WILD concerts.
SU also provides funding to over 200 campus student groups which annually appeal for funding. These funds allow for guest speakers to be brought to campus, student social functions to be held and student groups to continue to operate. About a third of SU’s budget is used for this purpose.
“One of my priorities this year was to increase the funds that student groups receive,” said SU Treasurer Jason Lewis, a senior.
Last year, this process ran short of funds relatively quickly, leaving many student groups upset. As Lewis explained, student groups often provide a critical service to the student body, and their funding is a priority.
“SU does not control what events student groups put on, we just want to make sure the funds are used responsibly,” said Lewis.
Treasury Speaker Aaron Robinson, a junior, said that the guidelines that SU follows when reviewing budgetary appeals emphasize the value of a proposed expense to the whole of the student body. Events that can accommodate a large audience, for example, are more likely to receive funding than events with a limited appeal.
He said that in SU’s view, events with wide appeal represented an “effective use” of money.
“We really like to see events that a lot of people can benefit from,” said Robinson.
Although SU does consider how a student group has managed its funds in the past, it does not pass judgement on the value of any student group’s interests.
“Treasury doesn’t judge the quality of the event. Treasury decides if they want to allocate students’ money for that event,” said Robinson.