[104] in UA Senate
Re: UA budgeting principles
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Janet Li)
Thu Oct 15 00:46:37 2009
In-Reply-To: <96CE93A0-F68C-4012-91E4-6A6F3D5C23A9@mit.edu>
From: Janet Li <jli12@MIT.EDU>
Date: Thu, 15 Oct 2009 00:45:41 -0400
To: Alexandra Jordan <amjordan@mit.edu>
Cc: hwkns@mit.edu, Jason Scott <jascott88@gmail.com>,
Adam Bockelie <bockelie@mit.edu>, Paul Youchak <youchakp@mit.edu>,
Catherine Olsson <catherio@mit.edu>, Andrew Lukmann <lukymann@mit.edu>,
Alex Schwendner <alexrs@mit.edu>,
"Alex Dehnert (UA Treasurer)" <ua-treasurer@mit.edu>,
ua-senate@mit.edu, ua-discuss@mit.edu
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I know I'm new, but I just think that committee meetings are generally short
enough that no one should go too hungry during them... it does seem a little
absurd to me that 14% of our budget goes to food to feed OURSELVES. Sure,
the UA works hard and all, but we do it because we WANT to help the
undergrads. And I just don't see how we're helping and serving them by using
14% of our enormous budget to pay for our own food. I would like to suggest
that we remove food from all of the committees' budgets in the future...
does anyone else agree at all?
---
Janet Li
Baker Senator
On Thu, Oct 15, 2009 at 12:33 AM, Alexandra Jordan <amjordan@mit.edu> wrote:
> I agree with Hawkins. The UA is a large organization, that cumulatively
> puts in hundreds of hours for the undergrads per week, with some individuals
> putting in well over even a normal 40 hour work week during the more
> stressful periods (example: Exec officers and the Budget Task Force position
> pieces, example: DPC report compilation). Providing basics (like food, a
> productive meeting space, etc.) for people to perform work on behalf of
> 4,000 students is completely within reason. If you're looking to cut fat out
> of the budget, it shouldn't be at the expense of the quality of working
> conditions for the people who are representing undergraduates to the
> administration to make life better at MIT. I also would agree with Ashley's
> assessment that student groups probably should fund certain events or
> capital expenditures from other means, not only to ensure sustainability and
> longevity of the group, but also because many small student group expenses
> benefit even fewer people than the UA food expenditures we're discussing.
> I also think it's relevant to recognize that the work of the UA is on
> behalf of all undergrads, whereas many of the groups we fund benefit and
> represent extremely small segments of the population.
>
> Alex Jordan
>
> On Oct 15, 2009, at 12:17 AM, Daniel Hawkins wrote:
>
> This argument neglects the differences in size between the UA and the
> senior class council, the difference in budget size, and the difference in
> man-hours of work. How often does the senior class council meet? How long
> are the meetings? Surely none of them are like the 9.5-hour senate meeting
> we had at the end of last semester... I think you're comparing very
> different things here.
>
> -hwkns
>
> On Thu, Oct 15, 2009 at 12:07 AM, Jason Scott <jascott88@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> I don't generally respond to these threads, but I just feel somewhat
>> strongly against food at meetings.
>>
>> Not once in our four years has our council sponsored food at our meetings.
>> If having food at meetings is so important for efficiency, can people not
>> simply bring their own food to the meeting?
>>
>> I'm a strong believer in having committee members being rewarded for
>> hardwork/planning. But I think that 14% of a budget spent on the committee
>> members themselves, is somewhat excessive.
>>
>> How would people react if last year's senior class council spent over $30K
>> on food for only 8 people?
>>
>> -Jason
>>
>> On Wed, Oct 14, 2009 at 11:58 PM, Adam Bockelie <bockelie@mit.edu> wrote:
>>
>>> I would disagree. Being part of a committee/senate/anything else in the
>>> UA is a lot of work, and most people are already busy with other activities.
>>> Having money to spend on food for a meeting means that people can focus on
>>> getting work done, not on searching for food between meetings. People on
>>> committees are dedicated, and I don't think that food is generally an
>>> incentive. But, I do think that food helps make meetings more productive.
>>>
>>> Janet Li wrote:
>>>
>>>> I really like Catherine's idea of the collection jar for food for Senate
>>>> meetings. I also agree with Paul that it doesn't seem all that necessary to
>>>> have so much of our budget go towards providing food at committee meetings.
>>>> People on committees should be dedicated enough to not need food as an
>>>> incentive to come to meetings, anyway.
>>>> ---
>>>> Janet Li
>>>> Baker Senator
>>>> MIT Class of 2012
>>>> Dept. of Biological Engineering
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> On Wed, Oct 14, 2009 at 11:07 PM, Paul Youchak <youchakp@mit.edu<mailto:
>>>> youchakp@mit.edu>> wrote:
>>>>
>>>> A few comments:
>>>>
>>>> A quick calculation for this years budget makes the cost spent on
>>>> food for meetings for various committees (and poland spring water)
>>>> to be 5675 dollars which is 14% of our budget. This seems to be a
>>>> pretty large sum and percentage. Saving this money and giving it to
>>>> Finboard would be quite significant.
>>>>
>>>> I understand the logic in moving the Senate elections to the fall so
>>>> that Freshmen could participate. This being said, I think it would
>>>> be worth considering revising this and moving the elections back to
>>>> the Spring. We could withhold a few open Freshman seats to be run
>>>> with the class council (independent of living group) allowing for
>>>> their inclusion in the fall as well. This process should allow
>>>> Senators for the coming year to be involved in the budgeting process
>>>> and any other events which might be taking place. For instance this
>>>> would have allowed for the Senators to help the Exec on the task
>>>> force report this year and get involved in other projects as soon as
>>>> the school year begin. Returning senators would also feel a greater
>>>> obligation to be involved instead of waiting for the fall session to
>>>> start.
>>>>
>>>> I, being a new Senator this year, do feel that I have relatively no
>>>> idea what is going on for these discussion and because of it do not
>>>> feel it is my place to question the judgment of those who know much
>>>> more about the topic than I.
>>>>
>>>> back to work,
>>>>
>>>> Paul
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Catherine Olsson wrote:
>>>>
>>>> I strongly agree with Alex S's sentiments that we should favor
>>>> putting money towards student groups instead of our own
>>>> initiatives. I think at the very least, as Andrew brought up, we
>>>> should hold ourselves to the same standard as Finboard holds
>>>> student groups (which will be easier if Finboard's standards
>>>> become more clearly stated and publicized as recommended by the
>>>> FPRC). If we don't hold ourselves to the same standards as the
>>>> groups we're withholding money from, then it seems clear to me
>>>> that the money is not going to its best use.*
>>>>
>>>> Thanks, Andrew, for the relevant history. Would it make sense
>>>> for us to extend the period of the summer budget through the
>>>> second meeting of the subsequent fall's Senate session? It seems
>>>> like this would prevent money from being spent before the fall
>>>> budget is approved, as happened with Athletics Weekend and other
>>>> expenditures this cycle.
>>>>
>>>> I would also be in favor of putting a collection jar out at
>>>> Senate, Exec, and committee meetings so that we can pay for some
>>>> of our own food. I greatly appreciate having food at Senate
>>>> meetings, as it means I don't need to worry about finding dinner
>>>> on an evening which is already very busy. However, paying a few
>>>> bucks for the food I eat so that we aren't entirely taxing the
>>>> student body for meals most of them don't eat (even though
>>>> they're welcome to) seems very reasonable. Other students who
>>>> come to meetings would still be able to eat the food and would
>>>> be encouraged to chip in, too. Does anyone else agree?
>>>>
>>>> I'm very glad we're discussing this issue. Given that next
>>>> term's budgeting is starting soon, I think now is exactly the
>>>> right time to pull our thoughts together.
>>>>
>>>> - Catherine Olsson, Random Hall Senator and Senate
>>>> Representative to Finboard
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> *It should be noted that much of the funding denied to student
>>>> groups by Finboard is because the groups' proposals seem not
>>>> well-planned-out or not worth the money (such as t-shirts), not
>>>> _because_ Finboard doesn't have enough money. But if Finboard
>>>> had more money, we could relax some of our guidelines, enabling
>>>> us to fund more conferences, fund capital such as costumes and
>>>> musical instruments more than our current caps, fund more
>>>> travel, enable groups that maintain a library (such as MITSFS
>>>> and Anime Club) to acquire more new material, and allow groups
>>>> who wish to hold a vast number of events to hold all their
>>>> events and not just some.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Andrew Lukmann wrote:
>>>>
>>>> If Alex's sentiments are shared by a number of other new
>>>> senators... it might be time to re-investigate the timing of
>>>> future budget approvals as well.
>>>>
>>>> History:
>>>> In the somewhat distant past (6-7+ years ago) Senate was
>>>> elected in the Spring with the incoming UA P/VP. As a
>>>> result, the incoming Senate and the incoming administration
>>>> worked together to compile and approve a budget before the
>>>> Summer. However, with a number of changes to the living
>>>> group constituencies, most importantly Freshmen on Campus,
>>>> the decision was made to move Senate elections to the Fall
>>>> to allow freshmen to vote (and run in) the Senate contest.
>>>> From what I recall, the first year of this change, the Fall
>>>> budget was actually voted upon by the outgoing Senate,
>>>> allowing the administration to have a complete and approved
>>>> budget to operate on over the summer, during orientation and
>>>> during the Fall term. This, however, served to largely
>>>> hamstring the newly-elected Senate regarding financial
>>>> policy until at least the Spring budget was discussed in
>>>> December. As a result, this was altered (about 5 years ago)
>>>> to the current arrangement where the outgoing Senate (in the
>>>> spring) grants an advance for the administration to utilize
>>>> over the Summer/Orientation which is disbursed by the
>>>> ExecComm in lieu of Senate. Then the Fall budget is taken up
>>>> and approved by the new Senate when it is finally assembled
>>>> and called to order by early-mid October.
>>>>
>>>> Problems:
>>>> It seems that in an effort to address problems of the past,
>>>> we in past UA administrations (and past sessions of Senate)
>>>> have helped to create new problems. It seems that even
>>>> though the intent of moving Fall budget approval to the Fall
>>>> was to empower new Senators, this has been less than
>>>> effective. New senators are just beginning to find their way
>>>> and are reticent to question the wisdom of a budget handed
>>>> to them by more experienced officers like the President,
>>>> Treasurer and (often) Speaker. Situations are also
>>>> encountered where the executive assumes that certain
>>>> budgetary line items will be approved and preemptively
>>>> spends the money (such as Athletics Weekend), effectively
>>>> circumventing Senate's oversight responsibility. Not having
>>>> an approved budget until mid October also hampers the
>>>> ability of the Executive and it's Committees to engage in
>>>> activities and programming early in the term.
>>>>
>>>> If other people in the UA agree that this is an important
>>>> enough issue, I encourage you to re-investigate the
>>>> possibility of making changes in the budget calendar and
>>>> taking a closer look at the pros and cons of different
>>>> options. In the end, the balance will almost always be
>>>> between empowering the current (or most recently) elected
>>>> representatives and having an experienced enough group of
>>>> Senators calling the shots that they can serve as a
>>>> meaningful check against executive overreaching or "mission
>>>> creep."
>>>>
>>>> Yours in the UA,
>>>> Andrew L.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Alex Schwendner wrote:
>>>>
>>>> I would like to advocate that our budgeting goal should
>>>> be to allocate
>>>> more money to student groups. Here's why:
>>>>
>>>> Our goal, as the Undergraduate Association, is to make
>>>> things better
>>>> for undergraduates. When it comes to money, this means
>>>> that we should
>>>> see that money gets spent on the things which most
>>>> benefit MIT
>>>> undergraduates. This might mean that we spend the money
>>>> ourselves or
>>>> this might mean that we give it to student groups who
>>>> can use it.
>>>> There are plenty of student groups who do wonderful and
>>>> amazing
>>>> things. All of us can think of student groups which get
>>>> much of their
>>>> funding from the UA which have made our time at MIT more
>>>> worthwhile.
>>>> Our goal, as the UA, should not be to do awesome things,
>>>> but rather to
>>>> see that awesome things get done.
>>>>
>>>> Sometimes, of course, this will mean that we should
>>>> spend money on
>>>> projects conceived by the UA and sometimes this will
>>>> mean that we
>>>> should give money to student groups. However, there is a
>>>> natural,
>>>> institutional bias toward spending the money ourselves.
>>>> We need to
>>>> fight that bias. Since we, the UA, get first crack at
>>>> the money, it's
>>>> easy to think of cool things which we can do with the
>>>> money while
>>>> forgetting about the very real and very cool things
>>>> which student
>>>> groups will *not* be able to do without that money. We
>>>> can see this
>>>> "mission creep" in UA funding in the way that the money
>>>> allocated to
>>>> UA committees has increased in past years. Yes, the UA
>>>> does more with
>>>> the increased money, but it is not always clear that
>>>> it's spent better
>>>> than it could be spent by student groups. The standards
>>>> which hold for
>>>> receiving funding from the UA general budget should be
>>>> analogous to
>>>> the standards which hold for receiving funding from UA
>>>> Finboard. I
>>>> will note that while UA committees received basically
>>>> everything that
>>>> they asked for in the Fall UA budget, student groups
>>>> which applied to
>>>> UA Finboard received less than 30% of their requests in
>>>> the most
>>>> recent funding cycle.
>>>>
>>>> Therefore, during the Spring 2010 budgeting process, I
>>>> intend to push
>>>> for allocating more money for student groups. Projects
>>>> which we choose
>>>> not to fund from the UA general budget can seek funding
>>>> through UA
>>>> Finboard, from LEF or ARCADE, from the MIT
>>>> Administration, or from
>>>> other funding sources.
>>>>
>>>> Please discuss.
>>>>
>>>> Alex Schwendner
>>>>
>>>> On Wed, Oct 14, 2009 at 12:52 AM, Alex Dehnert (UA
>>>> Treasurer)
>>>> <ua-treasurer@mit.edu <mailto:ua-treasurer@mit.edu>>
>>>> wrote:
>>>>
>>>> As several people have pointed out, the UA
>>>> spends quite a bit of money on
>>>> events (about a third of last semester's budget)
>>>> and focused projects (like
>>>> PLUS --- about a tenth of last semester's UA
>>>> budget). As Andrew Lukmann
>>>> pointed out last week, committees are spending
>>>> almost twice as much in Fall
>>>> 2009's budget as in Spring 2007's budget.
>>>>
>>>> Unfortunately, it is now a little bit late to
>>>> make major changes to the
>>>> Fall 2009 budget. Last week's meeting was
>>>> intended to allow that, and we
>>>> spent a great deal of time on it then. I also
>>>> solicited feedback late Friday
>>>> night (or really Saturday morning), and didn't
>>>> receive any. Of course, you
>>>> are well within your rights to amend the budget
>>>> at this point. (Though
>>>> Athletics Weekend has already happened, so I'd
>>>> rather you didn't amend
>>>> that...)
>>>>
>>>> However, the Spring 2010 budget has not begun
>>>> being compiled. In preparing
>>>> the the Fall 2009 budget, I (and I believe
>>>> committee chairs and the Special
>>>> Budgetary Committee) generally followed
>>>> precedent as to events and amounts.
>>>>
>>>> In some sense, there are (at least) two options
>>>> for guiding principles to
>>>> take in producing the budget:
>>>> (1) Many of the UA-run events are more useful
>>>> than the events and
>>>> programming (Finboard-funded) student groups
>>>> would spend the money on
>>>> (2) Alternatively, that events and programs such
>>>> as Athletics Weekend or
>>>> PLUS aren't worth taking the money away from
>>>> those student groups
>>>>
>>>> We've recently been defaulting to the former
>>>> guiding principle. However, I
>>>> would encourage the Senate to seriously consider
>>>> which is preferable and
>>>> pass appropriate legislation indicating a
>>>> preference.
>>>>
>>>> I would be *thrilled* to have such guidance, and
>>>> would happily incorporate
>>>> it into next semester's budget. (I warn you,
>>>> however, that committee chairs
>>>> will probably be asked to begin budgeting in
>>>> about two weeks.)
>>>>
>>>> Thanks,
>>>> Alex Dehnert
>>>> UA Treasurer
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>> --
>>> Adam Bockelie
>>> 801.209.7233
>>> <bockelie@mit.edu>
>>>
>>> Massachusetts Institute of Technology
>>> Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
>>> Class of 2011
>>>
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> Jason Alexander Scott
>> Class Council President
>> MIT Class of 2010
>>
>>
>
> __________________________________
> Alexandra Jordan
>
> MIT 2011
> Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Science
> Political Science
>
> amjordan@mit.edu
> 916.813.7740
>
>
>
>
>
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I know I'm new, but I just think that committee meetings are generally =
short enough that no one should go too hungry during them... it does seem a=
little absurd to me that 14% of our budget goes to food to feed OURSELVES.=
Sure, the UA works hard and all, but we do it because we WANT to help the =
undergrads. And I just don't see how we're helping and serving them=
by using 14% of our enormous budget to pay for our own food. I would like =
to suggest that we remove food from all of the committees' budgets in t=
he future... does anyone else agree at all?<br clear=3D"all">
---<br>Janet Li<br>Baker Senator<br>
<br><br><div class=3D"gmail_quote">On Thu, Oct 15, 2009 at 12:33 AM, Alexan=
dra Jordan <span dir=3D"ltr"><<a href=3D"mailto:amjordan@mit.edu">amjord=
an@mit.edu</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=
=3D"border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; p=
adding-left: 1ex;">
<div style=3D"word-wrap: break-word;">I agree with Hawkins. The UA is a lar=
ge organization, that cumulatively puts in hundreds of hours for the underg=
rads per week, with some individuals putting in well over even a normal 40 =
hour work week during the more stressful periods (example: Exec officers an=
d the Budget Task Force position pieces, example: DPC report compilation). =
Providing basics (like food, a productive meeting space, etc.) for people t=
o perform work on behalf of 4,000 students is completely within reason. If =
you're looking to cut fat out of the budget, it shouldn't be at the=
expense of the quality of working conditions for the people who are repres=
enting undergraduates to the administration to make life better at MIT. I a=
lso would agree with Ashley's assessment that student groups probably s=
hould fund certain events or capital expenditures from other means, not onl=
y to ensure sustainability and longevity of the group, but also because man=
y small student group expenses benefit even fewer people than the UA food e=
xpenditures we're discussing.<div>
<br></div><div>I also think it's relevant to recognize that the work of=
the UA is on behalf of all undergrads, whereas many of the groups we fund =
benefit and represent extremely small segments of the population.<br><div>
<br></div><div>Alex Jordan</div><div><div><div></div><div class=3D"h5"><br>=
<div><div>On Oct 15, 2009, at 12:17 AM, Daniel Hawkins wrote:</div><br><blo=
ckquote type=3D"cite">This argument neglects the differences in size betwee=
n the UA and the senior class council, the difference in budget size, and t=
he difference in man-hours of work.=A0 How often does the senior class coun=
cil meet?=A0 How long are the meetings?=A0 Surely none of them are like the=
9.5-hour senate meeting we had at the end of last semester...=A0 I think y=
ou're comparing very different things here.<br>
<br>-hwkns<br><br><div class=3D"gmail_quote">On Thu, Oct 15, 2009 at 12:07=
AM, Jason Scott <span dir=3D"ltr"><<a href=3D"mailto:jascott88@gmail.co=
m" target=3D"_blank">jascott88@gmail.com</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquo=
te class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204)=
; margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">
I don't generally respond to these threads, but I just feel somewhat s=
trongly against food at meetings.<br><br>Not once in our four years has our=
council sponsored food at our meetings. If having food at meetings is so i=
mportant for efficiency, can people not simply bring their own food to the =
meeting?<br>
<br>I'm a strong believer in having committee members being rewarded f=
or hardwork/planning. But I think that 14% of a budget spent on the committ=
ee members themselves, is somewhat excessive.<br><br>How would people react=
if last year's senior class council spent over $30K on food for only 8=
people?<br>
<br>-Jason<br><br><div class=3D"gmail_quote"><div>On Wed, Oct 14, 2009 at =
11:58 PM, Adam Bockelie <span dir=3D"ltr"><<a href=3D"mailto:bockelie@mi=
t.edu" target=3D"_blank">bockelie@mit.edu</a>></span> wrote:<br></div> <=
div>
<div></div><div><blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"border-left: 1px=
solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;"> =
I would disagree. =A0Being part of a committee/senate/anything else in the =
UA is a lot of work, and most people are already busy with other activities=
. =A0Having money to spend on food for a meeting means that people can focu=
s on getting work done, not on searching for food between =A0meetings. =A0P=
eople on committees are dedicated, and I don't think that food is gener=
ally an incentive. =A0But, I do think that food helps make meetings more pr=
oductive.<br>
<br> Janet Li wrote:<br> <blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"border=
-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-lef=
t: 1ex;"><div> I really like Catherine's idea of the collection jar for=
food for Senate meetings. I also agree with Paul that it doesn't seem =
all that necessary to have so much of our budget go towards providing food =
at committee meetings. People on committees should be dedicated enough to n=
ot need food as an incentive to come to meetings, anyway.<br>
---<br> Janet Li<br> Baker Senator<br> MIT Class of 2012<br> Dept. of Biol=
ogical Engineering<br> <br> <br></div><div><div></div><div> On Wed, Oct 14,=
2009 at 11:07 PM, Paul Youchak <<a href=3D"mailto:youchakp@mit.edu" tar=
get=3D"_blank">youchakp@mit.edu</a> <mailto:<a href=3D"mailto:youchakp@m=
it.edu" target=3D"_blank">youchakp@mit.edu</a>>> wrote:<br>
<br> =A0 =A0A few comments:<br> <br> =A0 =A0A quick calculation for this y=
ears budget makes the cost spent on<br> =A0 =A0food for meetings for variou=
s committees (and poland spring water)<br> =A0 =A0to be 5675 dollars which =
is 14% of our budget. =A0This seems to be a<br>
=A0 =A0pretty large sum and percentage. =A0Saving this money and giving it=
to<br> =A0 =A0Finboard would be quite significant.<br> <br> =A0 =A0I under=
stand the logic in moving the Senate elections to the fall so<br> =A0 =A0th=
at Freshmen could participate. =A0This being said, I think it would<br>
=A0 =A0be worth considering revising this and moving the elections back to=
<br> =A0 =A0the Spring. =A0We could withhold a few open Freshman seats to b=
e run<br> =A0 =A0with the class council (independent of living group) allow=
ing for<br>
=A0 =A0their inclusion in the fall as well. =A0This process should allow<b=
r> =A0 =A0Senators for the coming year to be involved in the budgeting proc=
ess<br> =A0 =A0and any other events which might be taking place. =A0For ins=
tance this<br>
=A0 =A0would have allowed for the Senators to help the Exec on the task<br=
> =A0 =A0force report this year and get involved in other projects as soon =
as<br> =A0 =A0the school year begin. =A0Returning senators would also feel =
a greater<br>
=A0 =A0obligation to be involved instead of waiting for the fall session t=
o<br> =A0 =A0start.<br> <br> =A0 =A0I, being a new Senator this year, do fe=
el that I have relatively no<br> =A0 =A0idea what is going on for these dis=
cussion and because of it do not<br>
=A0 =A0feel it is my place to question the judgment of those who know much=
<br> =A0 =A0more about the topic than I.<br> <br> =A0 =A0back to work,<br> =
<br> =A0 =A0Paul<br> <br> <br> <br> <br> =A0 =A0Catherine Olsson wrote:<br>=
<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0I strongly agree with Alex S's sentiments that we =
should favor<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0putting money towards student groups instead of our own<br>=
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0initiatives. I think at the very least, as Andrew brought u=
p, we<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0should hold ourselves to the same standard as Finb=
oard holds<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0student groups (which will be easier if Finbo=
ard's standards<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0become more clearly stated and publicized as recommended by=
the<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0FPRC). If we don't hold ourselves to the same s=
tandards as the<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0groups we're withholding money from,=
then it seems clear to me<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0that the money is not going to its best use.*<br> <br> =A0 =
=A0 =A0 =A0Thanks, Andrew, for the relevant history. Would it make sense<br=
> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0for us to extend the period of the summer budget through t=
he<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0second meeting of the subsequent fall's Senate se=
ssion? It seems<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0like this would prevent money from being spent before the f=
all<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0budget is approved, as happened with Athletics Weeke=
nd and other<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0expenditures this cycle.<br> <br> =A0 =A0 =
=A0 =A0I would also be in favor of putting a collection jar out at<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0Senate, Exec, and committee meetings so that we can pay for=
some<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0of our own food. I greatly appreciate having food =
at Senate<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0meetings, as it means I don't need to worr=
y about finding dinner<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0on an evening which is already very busy. However, paying a=
few<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0bucks for the food I eat so that we aren't enti=
rely taxing the<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0student body for meals most of them don&=
#39;t eat (even though<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0they're welcome to) seems very reasonable. Other studen=
ts who<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0come to meetings would still be able to eat the f=
ood and would<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0be encouraged to chip in, too. Does anyone=
else agree?<br> <br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0I'm very glad we're discussing this issue. Given th=
at next<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0term's budgeting is starting soon, I think n=
ow is exactly the<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0right time to pull our thoughts togeth=
er.<br> <br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0- Catherine Olsson, Random Hall Senator and Sen=
ate<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0Representative to Finboard<br> <br> <br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0*It=
should be noted that much of the funding denied to student<br> =A0 =A0 =A0=
=A0groups by Finboard is because the groups' proposals seem not<br> =
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0well-planned-out or not worth the money (such as t-shirts), =
not<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0_because_ Finboard doesn't have enough money. But if Fi=
nboard<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0had more money, we could relax some of our guidel=
ines, enabling<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0us to fund more conferences, fund capital=
such as costumes and<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0musical instruments more than our current caps, fund more<b=
r> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0travel, enable groups that maintain a library (such as MI=
TSFS<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0and Anime Club) to acquire more new material, and a=
llow groups<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0who wish to hold a vast number of events to =
hold all their<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0events and not just some.<br> <br> <br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0Andr=
ew Lukmann wrote:<br> <br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0If Alex's sentiments =
are shared by a number of other new<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0senators... =
it might be time to re-investigate the timing of<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0future budget approvals as well.<br> <br> =A0 =A0 =
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0History:<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0In the somewhat distant =
past (6-7+ years ago) Senate was<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0elected in the =
Spring with the incoming UA P/VP. As a<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0result, t=
he incoming Senate and the incoming administration<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0worked together to compile and approve a budget bef=
ore the<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0Summer. However, with a number of change=
s to the living<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0group constituencies, most impor=
tantly Freshmen on Campus,<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0the decision was made=
to move Senate elections to the Fall<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0to allow freshmen to vote (and run in) the Senate c=
ontest.<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 From what I recall, the first year of t=
his change, the Fall<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0budget was actually voted u=
pon by the outgoing Senate,<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0allowing the administration to have a complete and =
approved<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0budget to operate on over the summer, during orient=
ation and<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0during the Fall term. This, however, s=
erved to largely<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0hamstring the newly-elected Sen=
ate regarding financial<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0policy until at least th=
e Spring budget was discussed in<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0December. As a result, this was altered (about 5 ye=
ars ago)<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0to the current arrangement where the ou=
tgoing Senate (in the<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0spring) grants an advance =
for the administration to utilize<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0over the Summer/Orientation which is disbursed by t=
he<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0ExecComm in lieu of Senate. Then the Fall bud=
get is taken up<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0and approved by the new Senate w=
hen it is finally assembled<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0and called to order by early-mid October.<br>
<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0Problems:<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0It seems =
that in an effort to address problems of the past,<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =
=A0we in past UA administrations (and past sessions of Senate)<br> =A0 =A0 =
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0have helped to create new problems. It seems that even<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0though the intent of moving Fall budget approval to=
the Fall<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0was to empower new Senators, this has =
been less than<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0effective. New senators are just =
beginning to find their way<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0and are reticent to question the wisdom of a budget=
handed<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0to them by more experienced officers like the Presi=
dent,<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0Treasurer and (often) Speaker. Situations =
are also<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0encountered where the executive assumes=
that certain<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0budgetary line items will be appro=
ved and preemptively<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0spends the money (such as Athletics Weekend), effec=
tively<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0circumventing Senate's oversight resp=
onsibility. Not having<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0an approved budget until =
mid October also hampers the<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0ability of the Executive and it's Committees to=
engage in<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0activities and programming early in t=
he term.<br> <br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0If other people in the UA agree th=
at this is an important<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0enough issue, I encourag=
e you to re-investigate the<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0possibility of making changes in the budget calenda=
r and<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0taking a closer look at the pros and cons =
of different<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0options. In the end, the balance wi=
ll almost always be<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0between empowering the curre=
nt (or most recently) elected<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0representatives and having an experienced enough gr=
oup of<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0Senators calling the shots that they can =
serve as a<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0meaningful check against executive ov=
erreaching or "mission<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0creep."<br>
<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0Yours in the UA,<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0An=
drew L.<br> <br> <br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0Alex Schwendner wrote:<br> <br=
> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0I would like to advocate that our budgetin=
g goal should<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0be to allocate<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0more money to student groups. Here's wh=
y:<br> <br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0Our goal, as the Undergraduate A=
ssociation, is to make<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0things better<br>=
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0for undergraduates. When it comes to money,=
this means<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0that we should<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =
=A0 =A0see that money gets spent on the things which most<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0benefit MIT<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0undergrad=
uates. This might mean that we spend the money<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =
=A0 =A0ourselves or<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0this might mean that we give it to student =
groups who<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0can use it.<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0There are plenty of student groups who do wonderful and<=
br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0amazing<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =
=A0things. All of us can think of student groups which get<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0much of their<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =
=A0 =A0funding from the UA which have made our time at MIT more<br> =A0 =A0=
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0worthwhile.<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0Our =
goal, as the UA, should not be to do awesome things,<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0but rather to<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0see that awesome things get done.<br> <br> =
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0Sometimes, of course, this will mean that we=
should<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0spend money on<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0projects conceived by the UA and sometimes this will<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0mean that we<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =
=A0 =A0should give money to student groups. However, there is a<br> =A0 =A0=
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0natural,<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0institu=
tional bias toward spending the money ourselves.<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =
=A0 =A0 =A0We need to<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0fight that bias. Since we, the UA, get firs=
t crack at<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0the money, it's<br> =A0 =
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0easy to think of cool things which we can do wit=
h the<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0money while<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0forgetting about the very real and very cool things<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0which student<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =
=A0 =A0groups will *not* be able to do without that money. We<br> =A0 =A0 =
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0can see this<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0&quo=
t;mission creep" in UA funding in the way that the money<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0allocated to<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =
=A0 =A0UA committees has increased in past years. Yes, the UA<br> =A0 =A0 =
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0does more with<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0th=
e increased money, but it is not always clear that<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =
=A0 =A0 =A0it's spent better<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0than it could be spent by student groups. T=
he standards<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0which hold for<br> =A0 =A0 =
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0receiving funding from the UA general budget should =
be<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0analogous to<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =
=A0 =A0 =A0the standards which hold for receiving funding from UA<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0Finboard. I<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0=
=A0will note that while UA committees received basically<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0everything that<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0they =
asked for in the Fall UA budget, student groups<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0=
=A0 =A0which applied to<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0UA Finboard received less than 30% of their=
requests in<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0the most<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0recent funding cycle.<br> <br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =
=A0 =A0Therefore, during the Spring 2010 budgeting process, I<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0intend to push<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =
=A0 =A0for allocating more money for student groups. Projects<br> =A0 =A0 =
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0which we choose<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0n=
ot to fund from the UA general budget can seek funding<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0through UA<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0Finboard, from LEF or ARCADE, from the MIT<=
br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0Administration, or from<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0other funding sources.<br> <br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =
=A0 =A0Please discuss.<br> <br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0Alex Schwend=
ner<br>
<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0On Wed, Oct 14, 2009 at 12:52 AM, Alex=
Dehnert (UA<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0Treasurer)<br></div></div><=
div><div></div><div> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0<<a href=3D"mailto:u=
a-treasurer@mit.edu" target=3D"_blank">ua-treasurer@mit.edu</a> <mailto:=
<a href=3D"mailto:ua-treasurer@mit.edu" target=3D"_blank">ua-treasurer@mit.=
edu</a>>> wrote:<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 <br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =
=A0 =A0 =A0As several people have pointed out, the UA<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0spends quite a bit of money on<br> =A0 =A0 =
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0events (about a third of last semest=
er's budget)<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0and focused projects (like<=
br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0PLUS --- about a tenth o=
f last semester's UA<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =
=A0budget). As Andrew Lukmann<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =
=A0 =A0pointed out last week, committees are spending<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0almost twice as much in Fal=
l<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A02009's budget as i=
n Spring 2007's budget.<br> <br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =
=A0 =A0 =A0Unfortunately, it is now a little bit late to<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0make major changes to the<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0Fall 2009 budget. Last week=
's meeting was<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0inten=
ded to allow that, and we<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =
=A0spent a great deal of time on it then. I also<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0solicited feedback late Friday<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0night (or really Saturday m=
orning), and didn't<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0=
receive any. Of course, you<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0=
=A0are well within your rights to amend the budget<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0=
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0at this point. (Though<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0Athletics Weekend has alrea=
dy happened, so I'd<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0=
rather you didn't amend<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0=
=A0that...)<br> <br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0Howeve=
r, the Spring 2010 budget has not begun<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0being compiled. In preparin=
g<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0the the Fall 2009 budg=
et, I (and I believe<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0com=
mittee chairs and the Special<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =
=A0 =A0Budgetary Committee) generally followed<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0precedent as to events and =
amounts.<br> <br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0In some se=
nse, there are (at least) two options<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0for guiding principles to<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0take in producing the budget:<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0(1) Many of the UA-run even=
ts are more useful<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0than =
the events and<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0programmi=
ng (Finboard-funded) student groups<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0=
=A0 =A0 =A0would spend the money on<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0(2) Alternatively, that eve=
nts and programs such<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0as=
Athletics Weekend or<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0PL=
US aren't worth taking the money away from<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0those student groups<br>
<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0We've recently bee=
n defaulting to the former<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =
=A0guiding principle. However, I<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =
=A0 =A0 =A0would encourage the Senate to seriously consider<br> =A0 =A0 =A0=
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0which is preferable and<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0pass appropriate legislatio=
n indicating a<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0preferenc=
e.<br> <br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0I would be *thri=
lled* to have such guidance, and<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =
=A0 =A0 =A0would happily incorporate<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0it into next semester's=
budget. (I warn you,<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0ho=
wever, that committee chairs<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =
=A0 =A0will probably be asked to begin budgeting in<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0=
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0about two weeks.)<br>
<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0Thanks,<br> =A0 =A0 =
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0Alex Dehnert<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0=
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0UA Treasurer<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 <br> <br> <br> <br> </div></div></blockquote><f=
ont color=3D"#888888"> <br>
-- <br> Adam Bockelie<br> 801.209.7233<br> <<a href=3D"mailto:bockelie@=
mit.edu" target=3D"_blank">bockelie@mit.edu</a>><br> <br> Massachusetts =
Institute of Technology<br> Department of Civil and Environmental Engineeri=
ng<br>
Class of 2011<br> </font></blockquote></div></div></div><font color=3D"#88=
8888"><br><br clear=3D"all"><br>-- <br>Jason Alexander Scott<br>Class Counc=
il President<br>MIT Class of 2010<br><br> </font></blockquote></div><br></b=
lockquote>
</div><br></div></div><div> <span style=3D"border-collapse: separate; color=
: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal=
; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-h=
eight: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal;=
word-spacing: 0px;"><div style=3D"word-wrap: break-word;">
<span style=3D"border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family:=
Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font=
-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: =
0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><div st=
yle=3D"word-wrap: break-word;">
<div>__________________________________</div><div>Alexandra Jordan</div><di=
v><br></div><div>MIT 2011</div><div>Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Scien=
ce</div><div>Political Science</div><div><br></div><div><a href=3D"mailto:a=
mjordan@mit.edu" target=3D"_blank">amjordan@mit.edu</a></div>
<div>916.813.7740</div><div><br></div></div></span><br></div></span><br> </=
div><br></div></div></div></blockquote></div><br>
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