ASMSU sets 2010-11 budget to address student needs

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ASMSU’s 2010-11 budget reflects a re-evaluation of the services the organization offers — an effort aimed at getting the best price for undergraduate student dollars, officials said.

ASMSU is MSU’s undergraduate student government.

In the more than $1.49 million budget finalized by Student Assembly on Thursday, blue book funding doubled, rising to $5,840 from $2,920 in the 2009-10 budget, and liability insurance for short-term loans cost the organization $2,354.

Academic Assembly Chairperson Kristy Currier said an increased demand for blue books led the organization to allot more money for them.

“This year, we have gone through twice as many blue books as last year,” Currier said. “Faculty members were asking for blue books for exams so students could get them right away.”

Currier said the ease of obtaining blue books through ASMSU meant shortages often led to complaints.

To serve the needs of constituents, Student Assembly’s budget for conferences and leadership development increased by $6,000 overall and Academic Assembly’s conference budget increased by $700. Eric Branoff, Student Assembly’s vice chairperson for external affairs, said increases in those areas reflects the importance of internal and external development.

“In terms of the fall retreat, it helps us with goal-setting for the year, it helped the organization and helped us accomplish things,” Branoff said.

Branoff said conferences were a good way for representatives to network and hear ideas from various student governments.

“A conference is where the Readership Program idea came from,” Branoff said. “They help us build with other student governments and that helps us with students here.”

One of three traditionally large budget expenditures — legal services — increased. Legal services received $380,318 — up $6,146 from last year. Most of the money will pay the salaries of lawyers hired by ASMSU to help undergraduate students with legal needs ranging from minor in possession charges to contract reviews.

Funding for the other two areas — programming board and the Red Cedar Log — each decreased by less than 2 percent. Programming board is responsible for funding activities held by undergraduate student groups that are not a Registered Student Organization, or RSO. The Red Cedar Log publishes and distributes a yearbook of the same name each year.

Not all areas of ASMSU received increases as senior and freshman councils saw their budgets reduced by $900 and $300, respectively.

Personnel in several areas either were eliminated or consolidated, ASMSU spokesperson Portia McKenzie said. The merging of Academic Assembly’s director of university budgets and the director of education policy will save the organization $6,336. In the 2009-10 budget, both directors received $6,336 for one term.

McKenzie said the positions were merged to take advantage of the positions’ overlap. She the director of education policy mainly was responsible for planning the spring advocacy trip to Washington, D.C.

“The director of university budgets handles all the research for ASMSU,” McKenzie said. “They know all the going-ons and the information when it comes to tuition.”

Other cost-cutting measures included $1,600 cut from postage, McKenzie said.

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