How student fees become organization funding

By Erica Zucco, Reporter
Sept. 11, 2007

Every year, individual students pay $10 each to the Organization Resource Group as part of their student fees.

The money collected is divided and distributed to every student organization to use for services and administrative expenses. ORG uses a process to insure fund allocation is fair and "viewpoint neutral," ORG Chairman Trevor Flannigan said. The process is extensive and requires a series of operations performed by both ORG and the organizations themselves.

Organizations can choose from applying for money from ORG or from the Diversity Fee.

The Diversity Fee was enacted this past year to give minority organizations a different way to get funding. Students paid $3.19 to create a $123,000 fund that was distributed to five minority organizations, with $3,000 going to a "miscellaneous" fund.

Although the fee was approved, when it was first proposed the legality of the fee came into question. In a previous Maneater report, Missouri Students Association Senate Speaker Jonathan Mays said Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Cathy Scroggs was concerned the fee would violate a precedent set by the U.S. Supreme Court case. In the case, Board of Regents v. Scott Southworth et al., the Court ruled that any student fees created for student organizations must go to "viewpoint neutral" groups.

While ORG strives to make sure its funds are allocated in a "viewpoint neutral" manner, the diversity fee does not.

According to Flannigan, "viewpoint neutral" means impartial and unbiased to any purpose.

Each year, all MU student organizations must submit a budget application to gain the funding necessary to cover general expenses, travel and special events they would like to organize or attend.

Funding allocation takes place over the course of six weeks, according to the ORG Web site. During the first week, student organizations submit budgets to ORG in A022 Brady. The process continues as ORG executives compile budget data and memos are e-mailed to treasurers. Student organizations submit appeals over the next week, and then an appeal committee meets to make funding decisions. Student organizations have an opportunity to submit secondary appeals, and the secondary appeal committee meets to make the finalized funding decisions.

He said ORG strives for neutrality because every organization deserves to be treated equally, and students should have an equal opportunity for their organization to receive part of the activity fee, paid to MU as part of each student's tuition.

The board allocating the funds is the Student Organization Allocation Committee and is composed of 12 student volunteers. Although one of the members is from the Graduate Professional Council and one is from the Missouri Students Association, the remaining students are selected through an application process in which members of MSA, GPC and the ORG Executive Board approve applicants.

Funding is given in three categories: travel, general expense and honorarium. The general expense category covers any resources a given organization might need for its typical operations throughout the year. Travel takes into account any trips student organizations might wish to take to conferences or to locations that relate to the activities the organizations participate in. The honorarium category allots money so organizations can bring in speakers or performers to MU.

The budgets submitted in these categories receive funding based on ORG-specified policies and whether the requests truly fit the purpose of the student organization.

"Size and category of the organization do not affect its chances of receiving funding, unless the funds requested do not meet the group's official purpose statement," Vice-Chair of Administration Jessica Ekhoff said.

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How student fees become organization funding

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