Bill could be last of its kind if finance codes pass next week
What is possibly the “last allocations bill of its kind” was introduced at student senate Wednesday night.
The body will soon vote on an overhaul of financial codes that’s been months in the works. The new codes would move Student Government’s allocations process to a rolling basis, instead of the current semesterly model.
The bill allocates $99,710 to 83 student organizations this semester, including two that will receive loans. Last year’s spring allocations totaled $98,316 to 85 organizations, with four receiving loans.
The number of organizations that will not have to repay SG and received more than $1,000 remained the same this year, at 28.
Last year, after not all allocated funds were used, SG instituted a redistribution fund that served organizations on a first-come, first-served basis. If the revised finance codes are passed next week, that would be the model for the entire allocations process.
Instead of allocating funds to organizations a semester ahead of time, all funds would be allocated to the senate finance committee. The committee would then field requests from organizations to fund events or trips at least five weeks in advance.
The bill was carried over until next week’s senate session after multiple amendments concerning the bill’s language were made and Senate Finance Committee Chair Ashley Farr, the bill’s sponsor, said she had multiple additional amendments that needed to be made.
Transportation fixes
With dwindling parking options and constant complaints for students, the senate safety and transportation committee and USC Parking Services will bring free rides on Central Midlands Regional Transit Authority buses to first-year students starting in August 2014.
The move is designed to discourage freshmen from bringing cars to campus and encourage bus ridership over individual commuting for students throughout their college careers, said Senate Safety and Transportation Committee Chair Kirkland Gray.
Groundbreaking on new student housing on current parking space is set to start this spring, eliminating two surface lots near the Carolina Coliseum.
Elections talk
Elections codes will be up for debate next week alongside the finance codes. The elections codes are also being revised in an effort to update all of SG’s codes by the end of the semester.
Farr suggested changing the codes to restrict SG officers from endorsing candidates through their official positions. They would still be able to endorse candidates, but without saying they were a member of SG.
Farr also proposed a minimum GPA for candidates. Currently, all candidates must be in good standing in their respective schools, but each school has a separate minimum GPA to be considered in good standing.
Farr suggested that there be a baseline GPA requirement, either 2.5 or 3.0, that senate and executive candidates must meet.
While there was vocal support for an executive candidate minimum GPA, multiple senators voiced opposition to a blanket senate minimum.
“Why, if these senators are representing their own schools and colleges, should they have to conform to a university-wide standard?” Sen. Andrew Kovtun said.
Sen. Deon Tedder, who represents the School of Law, said a uniform GPA minimum would be especially restrictive for law students, who are graded “much harder” than undergraduates.
“In law school, a 3.0 is really, really good,” Tedder said. “It’s just different work.”