General Studies Lounge

Minutes by Brody Berg from start to 8:30, Nicolle Rountree from 8:30 to finish.
START Notes by Brody Berg
Niko: Welcome to the Finance Town Hall. What we're going to be covering is Keith Hightower giving a historical overview of the budget and how student life fees have been run in the past. With a view toward solutions.
Nancy: Detailed rules for the question and answer sessions. First is presentation, no questions. Don't interrupt now or during questions, it's rude and Brody is typing minutes which is tough when multiple people speak.
Keith: Thanks for coming out everybody. At the end of last year we decided to have transparency about the budget and share with the student body. This week we added the information you'll see tonight on the gslounge.com/finance website and we handed out budget copies as well.
Student Life fees: $367 fee that comes out of tuition. It's a general studies fee, CC and SEAS pay $467 for student life. Student life fees pay for Dodge Fitness, Lerner, GS Lounge, printing, Libraries, Email. Left over is $78.70.
Beginning of this year GSSC had $198k. We split it into two parts, $99k per semester. At the end of Fall semester we were left with $1,131.
The Budget was approved by the GSSC during the Fall semester. Any questions?
Ashley: I have a question
Niko: Keith, let's do questions at the end
Keith: Just browse through and we'll do questions at the end
So for Spring we have $100k for gross revenue, $86k encumbered - Senior Pub, The Gala, Senior events.
What's happened this year is that we have a lot less money available to us. i want to show you what has happened.
2005-06 $163k
06-07: $213k
07-08: 198k
but, the club expenses payments went up dramatically.
06-07 gala: $19k, seniors: $15,5k
07-08 gala: 11,5, seniors: ?
Bottom Line: $39k less available for GSSC student life programming
A lot of you may have heard of the Gala, and changes. But anyone that can do math understands that with less money, things take a hit, gala planned, but it had to be modified given our circumstances.
Club expenses: $70k each semester from our fund to pay for governing boards that govern hundreds of clubs around campus, like the model UN, columbia queer alliance. In all there is nearly $1m allocated to these clubs this year. The reason we invest in the clubs is that it gives you access to the clubs. Anyone can participate, join, leadership, boards, and even the governing boards you can get nominated and run - the whole 9 yards. There's been a push to make our students able to join clubs. In the past when we tried to join, we were told we could not, but now we can do it because we pay into the governing boards.
But once again, to ensure that our students can participate in these clubs we need to fund them each year. That's why you see the money trend go up each year to the money we're allocating to the clubs. It's a long process between the incoming and outgoing executive board to figure out how much goes to these governing boards each year.
Keith: questions
Nancy: rules, be respectful of other people, no interrupting, there will be a speakers list. I'll take the speakers list, Niko will be moderating. orderly discussion, in groups of five, no direct responses. speakers limited to 30 seconds, non-council members given priority.
Ashley: I noticed here on the last page there is a large thing about the "Ashley Retreat".
Keith: I tried to categorized things that were approved before I started managing things over the summer, that's why that item was there.
Dave Minchin: they were planned before you were managing the budget?
Keith: yes
Ashley: But the other things I did were chunked into that number too?
Keith: exactly
Ashley: Since, I am asking this since I know that I did this, since I organized it, and Niko approved it, how is it my retreat?
Keith: as I was tracking things I categorized things seperately so I could keep track
Ashley: I realize that, but my name is on that, as incurring the cost. where did this expenditure come from, where are the b-forms. signed by you? double signed by you?
Keith: everything on there is signed for. Is this something we should talk about later?
Ashley: this has my name on it, so I am pointing out that these additional items weren't asked for or paid for by me. How is this being lumped together with those items.
Niko: in the beginning of the year the GSSC goes off campus to bond. this is a historic expense. This year we went to Club Getaway. Planning historically happens over the summer. Ashley was in charge of that, and negotiated the best deal. This line item for the retreat, includes expenses for 26 people + copies etc.
Ashley: I just want to point out that this is something you and I worked on together.
Niko: maybe we can label it "retreat"
Allen: take off the ashley
Kristine: that was the point I was trying to address. I find it odd that Ashley's name was pointed out. I find it offensive that she was pointed out spending money. Who was spending $9,700. If you are going to do something one way, do it one way.
Keith: But Ashley planned the retreat
Kristine: To me it's an embarrassing slight.
Joel: We had a very extensive meeting Saturday. The SGA numbers $70k each semester was decided last spring. So we knew we were going to pay more before we were going to pay for the retreat and orientation.
Keith: all of these groups, with the exception of WKCR made it look like the funding was only going up $5k, but WKCR funds we paid into for their meetings.
Joel: I thought WKCR was a one time charge.
Keith: It had a substantial increase (facilities) that we didn't know about until the beginning of the semester.
Joel: thank you
Elizabeth: we resolved to cross off Ashley's name? [confirmed]
Gabrielle Breen: I come from being on the student council. Now that we realize what happened in the last 6 months and that we have x dollars in the bank, what happens now, what happens for GS students, what are your ideas in terms of gaining a good response about what the students want.
Niko: class pres/vps have been working on that exact question. Alex is the first year class president.
Alex Katz: I am Alex Katz. I realized in the beginning of the year that this was the sitauation. I am meeting with presidents of the other councils - purpose is two-fold. Costs for programs are split so we can do more programs with less money. The other one is to further integrate ourselves into the undergrad community. in terms of specifics I can't name specifics, but in a couple weeks I'll be meeting with them. the purpose though is to use smaller funds in a way that shares the burden more widely.
Niko: this is Evan Madeo and Karly Kurcio
Karly: I am Junior class VP, we have a series of Monday Luncheons - tomorrow at Lewisohn on the 6th floor to help for career planning. Future months we're going to do one on school and private finances, and another opportunity for careers and internships. in terms of cost free activities we're going to do a covert tour of the secrets around campus. Create a network of students which is a goal.
A lot of us are required to use Excel, working with someone to do an Excel tutorial with a research assistant in Butler.
When it gets warmer we are going to do a picnic at the Met.
Evan: I am the jr class vp, two things. both are in the very beginnings - text book exchange program - especially for the core curriculem - post used text books online and allow students to buy them with cash cheaper than bookstore or to exchange them. We could do it pretty much cost free.
Second idea, been in contact with a professional yoga instructor to teach GS students exclusively for a donation only - otherwise completely free. Allow GSer's to take yoga with a good teacher.
Monique Long: Senior class VP. We had a senior yoga retreat last week - almost capacity so I was really happy with that. next program is to invite student group leaders to present themselves to students so we can learn more. We're also doing a series of dinners- same sort of community building but with seniors. you'll be hearing about that more later - 4 or 5 planned for semester. Also, hiking trip planned for spring. I really want people to come out but the weather has to be agreeable. This thursday we're having a social event with Barnard College. Open to the entire student body - next thursday 7-8:30.
Helena: I am Helena, Sophomore VP, we had our goal for this semester that we set yesterday after our long meeting - to make events that are zero cost to GS. working with a place in morningside heights for trivia night. Sophomore class is 120 people, so we're trying to get general students to come out, not just sophomores. We are also talking to the Center for Career Education for about what Sophomores can do since we're in career and resume limbo.
Niko: focus has been on how to maximize $3 on great events. If anyone has ideas for events, we'll do them. Let's go back to the speakers list.
My question relates to creating a lot of events without a lot of money, but seeing the newspaper, and for the very first time at GS having an understanding of how the money is being spent is very disappointing. it shouldn't be that you need to find events that are really really cheap. it shouldn't be that way since you have the student life fee. that's not the point of creating the events that are free. you should be spending the money we give you, not on going on a retreat. I am really ignorant with regards to the GSSC this is the first time i've seen this in 06, 05, 04, but seeing this for the first time this is not cool. students that are here during the semester hardly get anything, not orientation, not the student council. I am a senior and graduating, but I hope that now the problem of dividing the money in a better way can be improved. it is not supposed to be this way.
Niko: I want to put our advisor on the spot here, he is also GSSC advisor. He has a historical outlook in past years with sponsoring student governing boards. I think Dominic can give us a quick overview on why GSSC has decided to fund the governing boards in the past.
Dominic: I think it's a very good thing. In the past, GS students could join clubs, but there were some that didn't want to take them. we had no recourse. even when we could join, we weren't allowed to be on the executive board - not president or treasurer. gssc and through the students weren't paying the governing boards. pushing down the barriers to students becoming involved on campus is a big deal. I heard this over and over. we had some undercover presidents in the past - proxy presidents and proxy forms. which is ridiculous in my mind. now you look across campus and two or three greek organizations have two or three GS presidents - that's 4 our of 14. there are a lot of GS students involved in GS dems, republicans, performance groups. Gs students have gotten out there and made an impact on campus.
When this happened I am not sure, I have been here ten years, it's too long to remember specifics. If we decide to pull out of it, then we go back to the shadow clubs and organizations, which was a disaster in my mind or do we work to have more control over the governing boards. I don't know how F@CU works, I haven't been a part of it. Especially for something like the GSSC where it's such a big part of our budget.
END Notes by Brody Berg
****************************
START Notes by Nicolle Rountree
Finance town hall meeting after 830pm

elena:
my personal opinion was that it had nothing to do with the other
governing boards...but seeing the stats of how much u spent on the
retreat made me upset. i understand you had to get together and that
you might not want to stay in a room on campus but why did it have to
cost so much money and why is nothing else coming out of it other than
an expensive orientation...there should be more events...and now you
have to find $ to do anything

nancy: i agree with you. i think
we def see now that it was a huge mistake. i am working on making sure
that never happens in the future. i think they were trying to improve
upon the past retreats not knowing what the entire year was going to
look like in the future. council goes on retreat to build a team and
fine direction. i also agree we should have an alternative to a retreat
that is not as expensive

elena: you all keep saying you didnt know but keith was just saying it was decided b4 ...dont you know?

gabby:
the past GSSCs communicated with you guys. i know that i worked with
the orientation committee slash i was the chair...and i met with ashley
about past funds for the retreat...i am sure niko talked to susana and
chad. we gave recommendations in terms of orientation and retreat. the
retreat was in the ballpark but the orientation was not even close

elena:
having prior knowledge of gssc you should been able to do better, i
understand you are new but that is not an excuse...you should have
known better

niko: keith can you describe how $ projected

keith:
they spent in the ball park of 5500-7k in the past 3 years or so, so
that is on par for retreat. but orientation was different because we
went about it differently so it was significantly higher in cost...niko
should speak on it

niko: who is interested?

gabby: we cant hear you

niko:
sorry i will speak up. the single biggest line items were the retreat
and orientation...last semester we tried to figure out what the best
way to connect incoming gs students with the rest of gs and the
community...connecting students in the first week was the best way to
keep the student body together...the past GSSCs have made strides in in
parity and equality...what we wanted was an event that added to what
the deans office traditionally provides...i know the dean's budget is
confined as well...we made committee...with an event we thought could
bring together students...we also had the NSOP opportunity for the
first time ...we never b4 participated or had to pay as we were never
invited...2500 from the orientation cost was for NSOP which is the 4
school orientation programing...we thought that was a good decision for
continuing the parity and equality...we usually spend 2000-2500 for the
orientation party...what was new this year was water bottles and
supplies...why? if we have 300 students on campus...like blue java cups
we wanted to get that GS cup out there...it was a cost of about $9-10
per person on average...we had no idea that enrollment was going to be
that much lower...which is why the budget is 40k lower than last
year...had we known we would have done NSOP but not water bottles

elena:i
have no idea how enrollment changes. i just cant imagine that it
fluctuates that much that it would lead to this big a problem...and
that you couldn't adjust...that you ordered so ahead of the time that
you couldn't change the number of water bottles ordered...i am an econ
major. i just dont believe you couldn't do a thing gssc

keith: we did once we knew those numbers but we were not presented with the numbers until a couple weeks into the semester

adrienne: how did it work then...

keith: well...

dominic
stelini: keith maybe i should explain...final budget numbers are based
on enrollment which are not determined till after the add drop
date...the school doesnt know exactly what enrollment looks like till
after the add drop date either...the school even had to cut back, to
count paper clips and reuse pencils...there was a significant shortfall
due to enrollment...spring enrollment is better but not by
much...unfortunately because finances for the school and council are
based on enrollment we dont know how much there is until 2-3 weeks into
the semester...it is the world we live in...normally enrollment has
trended up, but this year we took a hit and it was not expected.

jesse
dean: thanks for calling this town hall and making public the budget. I
urge that you release the budget #s for spring as well... i have a 2
part question in regards to the largest expenses. is it possible to
look at the participation rates for these events to see if the largest
expenses reached the largest amount of people?....2nd i hate to add to
the bureaucracy...but is it possible to poll students...i am
disappointed at the low turnout for this town hall...maybe the majority
is not interested...maybe the students should be polled to find out
what their needs and interests are so that council can address
them...though thats changes as the student body changes each semester
...ABC but in started in the past with GSSC working for parity but my
concern is that the general student body is not aware of what has been
done on their behalf...what is our participation rate for these
clubs...we want parity but maybe we need to look back to see if they
are not aware we pay for them and these new opportunities...and that
may boost numbers or that funding is not needed

jesse from SGB:
individual groups come 2 us and they have to self report their group
numbers and they are public and we can share those numbers with you. i
can float the idea of putting them up on our site with the board i
doubt they would have a problem with that. i imagine this was true
with the other boards...GS pays as a ratio...so GS does not pay the
same amount as cc, seas....

joey: i noticed that one of the 6 funded organizations was greek council...

dominic: we have had something like as many as four greek presidents from gs at the same time

joey:
okay we have had 4 pres...but yet we are not allowed to live in the
greek houses...is that an indication of our relationship with these
groups that we are funding? is there any indication that these policies
are going to change

niko: you know the pres of gssc 2 years ago could not live in his greek house..gabby could u answer more about that?

Gabby : uhmm dominic?

Dominic:
well it is a housing issue. GS is serviced by UAH while CC and SEAS are
serviced by a different system..because there is a shortage of housing
on campus across the board it is hard to get those systems to merge.
there are larger issues for GS when it comes to housing, not to
minimize the greeks system issue but i am more worried about 250
students that need a bed than the 14 fraternities...i pitch a fit about
it as do dean awn and mcgee when it comes up but is it the hill we are
going to die on...no...if there was some momentum after the article
last week maybe it would have a chance...this is a niche we could
get...as some spaces in greek houses are filled by non-members from
time to time...not full court press but it doesnt mean we wouldnt try

jeoy: but does this situation indicate our relationship standing with these student groups we are funding?

jesse SGB: all undegrads are available to hold any position in these clubs

aaron:
i sit on ABC. it is in fact that fewer GS students are involved in the
groups now but the trend is upward with GS students holding leadership
positions in some clubs and even some clubs being initiated by GS
students so i think they are in fact interested

dan: i have a
couple points but...bottom line is that we are dirt poor for
now...trying to make events with like 5 bucks and my question is what
do you plan on doing about it...we should have 150k a year i mean if
you really want to organize serious events like the gala u need more
money ...i think it is too time consuming to talk about individual past
expenditures...like the problem remains. where do we get more money? so
where do you get more money? what next?

keith: well we are
putting together a taskforce to create with what we have ...of course
we have thought about this including restructuring the student life
fee...where maybe full time students perhaps pay more and part time
students pay a little less...that is why we have that slide of how our
fee is different from that of the other schools by about $100
less...which is part of why they have more money for more events

dan: is that just us trying to reach parity?

allen:
the agreement in finance was that the fee should be increased...but CC
and SEAS receive extra funding from their respective schools for
events. GS does not have excess funding to go to student events...there
is significantly more money from SDA at CC and SEAS than with GS...so
raising student life fees would be best

keith: anyone interested in being part of the taskforce?
(a few hands raise)

niko:
we want 2 deliver a report in the next 10 days to the deans office to
address this but we have 6 minutes left so lets keep moving down the
speakers question list

ashley: did you ever sign both sides of the bform against GSSC regulations?

niko:
it is not a regulation. 2 people can sign as in 2 people are authorized
to sign bforms keith and niko...when authorized the bill gets paid
through accounting

ahsley: did you ever sign both parts? it's a yes or no question

niko: (points at the bform) i only put it on one side...

ashley: i am trying to find out if there was any oversight before keith was vp of finance

dave: yeah when...

niko: when he was not around i sat as vp of finance and...

dave: there are 2 signatures on a bform and...

niko: what is the question here? (hands dave a bform) here is a bform. take a look and we will come back to you

raul:
i am alumni rep..i am aware of displeasure by students in regards to
the retreat...but from i understand it was not a tradition that we
started. secondly i got the feeling that people are questioning whether
we should be paying in for the groups...looking forward this will be
something we will benefit from...an investment for GS in the
future...we may have hard times now...but in the future this could be
significant

adrienne: at this point the horse is well out of the
barn and all we can see is his ass running away...it is also something
like you are failing a class well past midterms you have to get it
together and buckle up. some of the expenses may have been appropriate
in the past if the budget made sense for it...the retreat did not serve
its purpose...and other expenses like the clubs, alcohol, $752 for
Harlem wine....but at this point water bottles are not going to get us
the status or inclusion parity that we want, that we have been working
for...if we dont have the money to spend $10 on a water bottle then we
dont...but its done and we are facing the horses ass...if i spend my
money poorly i have to pay the price...i hope those left...if we have
to pull out of certain items to have a budget...well we cant live on
credit...if we cant afford to look/live like CC then we cant ....if we
cant fund it we cant fund it....pleas dont ask me to be on the
taskforce...all i know is there are some problems

kelvin: can
you answer the allegations about osekre's vibe? that the expenditure on
osekre's vibe was more than what you have here (in the handouts of the
budget)...i want us to be honest and transparent...yes or no?

keith:
we haven't occurred any expense as of yet...but it was not the vibe it
was the CU Records, the last jamm we co-sponsored...dominic?

dominic: we are still trying to figure out what the liabilities the student organization has...it being investigated

kelvin: we just want to know if it was..that it was not bad behavior but instead poor management

allen: the event is not on these forms and that event is still being investigated

niko:
the meeting is officially over but you can stay and ask more
questions...I want to thank Keith and the finance committee for putting
this together...(people start to shuffle and leave)...and i want to
thank...

cheryl: uhmm i have had my hand up for a while back
here...i have to say that i do believe other councils go on
retreat...the money spent on orientation wasnt well spent...i used to
be on coucnil i am cheryl i used to be the vp of student life and ...we
had people that got chased off and now marketing for the gala is with
you guys but what i want to know is...but how are we paying for
broadway show tickets and a carriage ride for marketing when we have no
money?

niko: ashley put up a budget...

cheryl: but she quit!

niko: on wednesday we had a team soliciting funds for those...how we are funding...

cheryl:
we have no money but no one is being responsible no one is taking
responsibility for the squander of funds...niko i saw it. i saw bforms
with your signature on it! no one is taking responsibility for the
squander

dave: i am looking at the bform...(reads parts of the
bform aloud)...it says pres or treasurer can sign these forms...it
appears to be clear that there is a treasurer signature and a
responsible signature for the...

niko: lets clarify. there is a treasurer signature then below...it says gssc officer responsible for the event signature

dave: clarify. are there forms where you are both? it is a simple yes or no question. yes or no?

niko: clarify...

dave: is it true this exists?

niko: yes my signature authorizing expenses does appear...

dave: not what i am asking. have you been both the treasurer signature and the responsible officer on the forms? yes or no?

adrienne:
what are you guys trying to ask? i am curious if he actually did it?
and do you know which forms? when can that be discussed...lets put it
out there...do we suspect

dave: yes

ashley: yes

adrienne: what are the forms? which forms are they?

ashley: specifically the orientation bforms for the village coppier

cheryl: those regarding the extended orientation at sub conscious, morton williams, village copier

niko: yes well keith was not in town and...

ashley: isn't that like signing a blank check to myself? i mean

niko: if my name is "morton williams"...

dave: constitutionally one cant spend more than 200 without council's approval

adrienne: can you produce the documents?

niko: did council approve? yes...

keith: well yes but after...

dave: you cant say no after...

joel: but...

ashley:
i saw it and...an excess of 60$-90 of niko being on the internet at
village coppier that cheryl and i questioned about orientation expenses

dave: fall $10k for orientation, spring $1500..i mean really....

adrienne: but if you are accusing him of

dave: well...

keith: joel asked on sat about the forms and i told him where he could...

Joel: aaron told me the business office but there isnt one. at least not one that had those bforms

keith: i told you u can come and see them at the finance committee meetings on fridays...

Joel: well we had a policy meeting and we tried to get it before hand and u said i could come to fiance committee meeting but...

dave: did you authorize the payments b4 or after they were made(asked to keith)?

keith: they were presented to the council as a part of the target budget

dave: did you do that b4 or after?

niko:
u are talking about an out of date portion of the bform that is in
regards to when council used to have student groups as responsible
parties

keith: the direct concern is that niko may have violated the constitution and administartion rules in regards to the bforms

ashley: does his signature appear twice?!

keith: well obviously this needs to be investigated

adrienne: what does that mean? what is the significance of it?

ashley: its a big deal

raul: come on! what are you asking?

dave: one orientation was $10k one was $1500...well...

keith: generally fall is more expensive than spring because we have more entering in the fall than the spring...

dave:
anyone have the spec...anyone have a copy of the spec for today?...here
it is (looking at the pie chart in the spec) interesting to see that
3/4 of the pie did not and that 1/4 actually had oversight and the rest
apparently had none

raul: dominic who has administration over GSSC expenditure?

dominic:
gssc has oversight over itself...i think it is important...we are
throwing a lot of things out over here...which means keith and i need
to have a meeting with all the bforms and if there is something
problematic..saying "i think it was" and "i heard" and "i have been
told"...i think there is something to be investigated and it should be
soon...because i think that people are frustrated because they dont
know because they cant get to the forms...well then lets show it and
they can get to it...we are throwing around innuendo and suspicion and
making people defensive...lets look into it so we all have the same
footing...there may be nothing to get angry about...or there maybe
there is...lets know we need to get angry at eachother. keith we will
arrange a meeting

dave:[