The Undergraduate Student Government’s budget is down by nearly $7,000 after a mistake in the organization’s allocation, leaving them with only $33,000 instead of the anticipated $40,000.
At the general assembly meeting last night, USG debated about what went wrong with the budget.
Vice President Nick Gamero was shocked to find USG’s budget was incorrect and said it was due partly to miscalculated rollover counts.
During the summer, USG students who are living in the Bowling Green area are ‘given money in order to take classes on campus, which comes from the organization’s rollover from the previous year,’ Gamero said.
Although the new budget for this year claimed that USG had roughly $7,000 left in rollover money, the amount was considerably less.
The student government was unaware of the change and divvied up their money accordingly.
At the end of last year the budget was submitted to the dean of students, and was approved, President Johnnie Lewis said. The budget then went to the Vice-President of Student Affairs and it was decided that too much money was being given to the student government, leaving the USG with considerably less than was originally expected.
‘It is a good lesson for all of us in terms of flexibility, leadership and dedication,’ USG speaker Jeremy Lehman said.
‘It was unfortunate, but we still have a lot of good ideas,’ he said.
Lewis was troubled when he learned about the miscalculated budget.
‘I was so upset when I first heard,’ Lewis said. ‘Then I was confused because last year I watched the rollover, and it certainly wasn’t $7,000 and I don’t know how it ended up at that number.’
But Lewis still has big plans for the coming year, even if USG may not have the funds expected.
‘So many things must be reconfigured and reconsidered,’ he said. ‘We may have to re-address our entire approach, but I’m still going to do everything we planned with as much energy and excitement as we can.’
Notes: Ashley Bunnell, a USG off-campus senator, told USG members that her car was hit by a campus shuttle bus. She was absent from last week’s meeting due to the accident. Lewis said that the accident occurred on Aug. 20.
