Student Senate set to use homecoming budget to settle deficit

Photo courtesy SGA

Florida A&M Universitys Student Senateon Monday moved to use the homecoming budget to pay off a budget deficit.

During announcements and committee reports, Senate President Shanel Brown announced that the deficit was the result of over-allocating funds from last year. The deficit totaled more than $148,000 and the resolution was to pay it off with the homecoming budget.

“I just want to reemphasize how important the A&S reports are and how important the budget committee is going to be,” Brown said. “This is a very fragile year, dealing with a drop in enrollment that wasn’t anticipated, and as we know, our budget is made based on projections which is why we’re looking at this deficit.”

Brown said the budget committee would be coming up with contingency plans to ensure that these issues are avoided moving forward. The senate motioned and approved for the remaining funds from the homecoming budget to be utilized to pay off the deficit.

Activities & Service liaison Kayla Braggs announced that a memo was sent out with all the completed activities and service reports, and all the ones that need to be done. Braggs urged senators to have the reports done by the end of the semester.

“We really need to push to have those done before the end of the semester. It’s really imperative that we understand where organizations stand,” Braggs Said. “We know there is no special allocation season, and the budget is extremely tight. We need to see where spending is currently and where we can move forward with that.” 

Student Relations Committee chairman Artise Lewis announced that his committee met to discuss the senate on the run, a sexual assault resolution, and sex trafficking awareness week.

 The Organization Finance Committee made the annual budget applications available on the SGA website. The committee sent out emails to all organizations that qualify for the annual budget. They are also planning to create videos to show organizations how to fundraise since special allocations will not be available this year.

Elections and Appointments Committee chairwoman Maya Robinson announced that her committee met to go over election codes, and that the election reform committee meeting will be taking place this week. The committee is finished with confirmations. There is a possibility that there will be additional confirmations after Thanksgiving or during the spring semester.