[118] in UA Senate
Re: UA budgeting principles
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Janet Li)
Thu Oct 15 01:24:07 2009
In-Reply-To: <4AD6AEE4.8050902@mit.edu>
From: Janet Li <jli12@MIT.EDU>
Date: Thu, 15 Oct 2009 01:21:41 -0400
To: Alex Dehnert <adehnert@mit.edu>
Cc: Alexandra Jordan <amjordan@mit.edu>, 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>,
ua-senate@mit.edu, ua-discuss@mit.edu
--0016364c70b9864ad10475f275b3
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
Senate meetings are more broadcast to undergrads than committee meetings
are, at least in my experience. As an example, last year, when I wasn't on
the UA, the food did actually provide me with an incentive to come to some
of the Senate meetings and listen to the guest speakers, etc.
Anyway, to complement Paul's numbers, there are indeed serious discrepancies
in how much committees budget for food, from $400 total for 5-person
meetings (Dining), to $135 total for 5-person meetings (Space Planning). At
least we could standardize how much money we spend on food across all
committees.
---
Janet Li
MIT Class of 2012
Dept. of Biological Engineering
On Thu, Oct 15, 2009 at 1:11 AM, Alex Dehnert <adehnert@mit.edu> wrote:
> If Senate chooses to ask that I do that, I'd ask that you either:
> (1) Also ask me to remove food from Senate budget (I'm not sure if you were
> counting Senate as a committee)
> (2) Come up with a *really good* justification for why Senate deserves it
> more.
>
> ~~Alex
>
> Janet Li wrote:
>
>> 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
>>>
>>> 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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Senate meetings are more broadcast to undergrads than
committee meetings are, at least in my experience. As an example, last year=
, when I wasn't on the
UA, the food did actually provide me with an incentive to come to some
of the Senate meetings and listen to the guest speakers, etc.<br>
<br>
Anyway, to complement Paul's numbers, there are indeed serious
discrepancies in how much committees budget for food, from $400 total
for 5-person meetings (Dining), to $135 total for 5-person meetings
(Space Planning). At least we could standardize how much money we spend
on food across all committees.<br clear=3D"all">---<br>Janet Li<br>MIT Clas=
s of 2012<br>Dept. of Biological Engineering<br>
<br><br><div class=3D"gmail_quote">On Thu, Oct 15, 2009 at 1:11 AM, Alex De=
hnert <span dir=3D"ltr"><<a href=3D"mailto:adehnert@mit.edu">adehnert@mi=
t.edu</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"b=
order-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; paddin=
g-left: 1ex;">
If Senate chooses to ask that I do that, I'd ask that you either:<br>
(1) Also ask me to remove food from Senate budget (I'm not sure if you =
were counting Senate as a committee)<br>
(2) Come up with a *really good* justification for why Senate deserves it m=
ore.<br>
<br>
~~Alex<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-left: 1ex;"><div><div></div><=
div class=3D"h5">
I know I'm new, but I just think that committee meetings are generally =
short<br>
enough that no one should go too hungry during them... it does seem a littl=
e<br>
absurd to me that 14% of our budget goes to food to feed OURSELVES. Sure,<b=
r>
the UA works hard and all, but we do it because we WANT to help the<br>
undergrads. And I just don't see how we're helping and serving them=
by using<br>
14% of our enormous budget to pay for our own food. I would like to suggest=
<br>
that we remove food from all of the committees' budgets in the future..=
.<br>
does anyone else agree at all?<br>
---<br>
Janet Li<br>
Baker Senator<br>
<br>
<br>
On Thu, Oct 15, 2009 at 12:33 AM, Alexandra Jordan <<a href=3D"mailto:am=
jordan@mit.edu" target=3D"_blank">amjordan@mit.edu</a>> wrote:<br>
<br>
</div></div><blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"border-left: 1px sol=
id rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;"><div>=
<div></div><div class=3D"h5">
I agree with Hawkins. The UA is a large organization, that cumulatively<br>
puts in hundreds of hours for the undergrads per week, with some individual=
s<br>
putting in well over even a normal 40 hour work week during the more<br>
stressful periods (example: Exec officers and the Budget Task Force positio=
n<br>
pieces, example: DPC report compilation). Providing basics (like food, a<br=
>
productive meeting space, etc.) for people to perform work on behalf of<br>
4,000 students is completely within reason. If you're looking to cut fa=
t out<br>
of the budget, it shouldn't be at the expense of the quality of working=
<br>
conditions for the people who are representing undergraduates to the<br>
administration to make life better at MIT. I also would agree with Ashley&#=
39;s<br>
assessment that student groups probably should fund certain events or<br>
capital expenditures from other means, not only to ensure sustainability an=
d<br>
longevity of the group, but also because many small student group expenses<=
br>
benefit even fewer people than the UA food expenditures we're discussin=
g.<br>
I also think it's relevant to recognize that the work of the UA is on<b=
r>
behalf of all undergrads, whereas many of the groups we fund benefit and<br=
>
represent extremely small segments of the population.<br>
<br>
Alex Jordan<br>
<br>
</div></div><div><div></div><div class=3D"h5"><blockquote class=3D"gmail_qu=
ote" style=3D"border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0p=
t 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;"><blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"bor=
der-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-=
left: 1ex;">
<blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, =
204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 benefit MIT<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 undergraduates. This might mean that we spend =
the money<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 ourselves or<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 this might mean that we give it to student gro=
ups who<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 can use it.<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 There are plenty of student groups who do wond=
erful and<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 amazing<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 things. All of us can think of student groups =
which get<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 much of their<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 funding from the UA which have made our time a=
t MIT more<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 worthwhile.<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 Our goal, as the UA, should not be to do aweso=
me things,<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 but rather to<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 see that awesome things get done.<br>
<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 Sometimes, of course, this will mean that we s=
hould<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 spend money on<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 projects conceived by the UA and sometimes thi=
s will<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 mean that we<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 should give money to student groups. However, =
there is a<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 natural,<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 institutional bias toward spending the money o=
urselves.<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 We need to<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 fight that bias. Since we, the UA, get first c=
rack at<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 the money, it's<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 easy to think of cool things which we can do w=
ith the<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 money while<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 forgetting about the very real and very cool t=
hings<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 which student<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 groups will *not* be able to do without that m=
oney. We<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 can see this<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 "mission creep" in UA funding in the=
way that the money<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 allocated to<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 UA committees has increased in past years. Yes=
, the UA<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 does more with<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 the increased money, but it is not always clea=
r that<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 it's spent better<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 than it could be spent by student groups. The =
standards<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 which hold for<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 receiving funding from the UA general budget s=
hould be<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 analogous to<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 the standards which hold for receiving funding=
from UA<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 Finboard. I<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 will note that while UA committees received ba=
sically<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 everything that<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 they asked for in the Fall UA budget, student =
groups<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 which applied to<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 UA Finboard received less than 30% of their re=
quests in<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 the most<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 recent funding cycle.<br>
<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 Therefore, during the Spring 2010 budgeting pr=
ocess, I<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 intend to push<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 for allocating more money for student groups. =
Projects<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 which we choose<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 not to fund from the UA general budget can see=
k funding<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 through UA<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 Finboard, from LEF or ARCADE, from the MIT<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 Administration, or from<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 other funding sources.<br>
<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 Please discuss.<br>
<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 Alex Schwendner<br>
<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 On Wed, Oct 14, 2009 at 12:52 AM, Alex Dehnert=
(UA<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 Treasurer)<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 <<a href=3D"mailto:ua-treasurer@mit.edu" ta=
rget=3D"_blank">ua-treasurer@mit.edu</a> <mailto:<a href=3D"mailto:ua-tr=
easurer@mit.edu" target=3D"_blank">ua-treasurer@mit.edu</a>>><br>
wrote:<br>
<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 As several people have pointed=
out, the UA<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 spends quite a bit of money on=
<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 events (about a third of last =
semester's budget)<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 and focused projects (like<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 PLUS --- about a tenth of last=
semester's UA<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 budget). As Andrew Lukmann<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 pointed out last week, committ=
ees are spending<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 almost twice as much in Fall<b=
r>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 2009's budget as in Spring=
2007's budget.<br>
<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 Unfortunately, it is now a lit=
tle bit late to<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 make major changes to the<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 Fall 2009 budget. Last week=
9;s meeting was<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 intended to allow that, and we=
<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 spent a great deal of time on =
it then. I also<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 solicited feedback late Friday=
<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 night (or really Saturday morn=
ing), and didn't<br>
=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 are well within your rights to=
amend the budget<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 at this point. (Though<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 Athletics Weekend has already =
happened, so I'd<br>
=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 that...)<br>
<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 However, the Spring 2010 budge=
t has not begun<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 being compiled. In preparing<b=
r>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 the the Fall 2009 budget, I (a=
nd I believe<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 committee chairs and the Speci=
al<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 Budgetary Committee) generally=
followed<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 precedent as to events and amo=
unts.<br>
<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 In some sense, there are (at l=
east) two options<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 for guiding principles to<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 take in producing the budget:<=
br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 (1) Many of the UA-run events =
are more useful<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 than the events and<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 programming (Finboard-funded) =
student groups<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 would spend the money on<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 (2) Alternatively, that events=
and programs such<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 as Athletics Weekend or<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 PLUS aren't worth taking t=
he money away from<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 those student groups<br>
<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 We've recently been defaul=
ting to the former<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 guiding principle. However, I<=
br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 would encourage the Senate to =
seriously consider<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 which is preferable and<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 pass appropriate legislation i=
ndicating a<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 preference.<br>
<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 I would be *thrilled* to have =
such guidance, and<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 would happily incorporate<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 it into next semester's bu=
dget. (I warn you,<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 however, that committee chairs=
<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 will probably be asked to begi=
n budgeting in<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 about two weeks.)<br>
<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 Thanks,<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 Alex Dehnert<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 UA Treasurer<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
</blockquote>
--<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 Engineering<br>
Class of 2011<br>
<br>
</blockquote>
<br>
<br>
--<br>
Jason Alexander Scott<br>
Class Council President<br>
MIT Class of 2010<br>
<br>
<br>
</blockquote>
=A0__________________________________<br>
Alexandra Jordan<br>
<br>
MIT 2011<br>
Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Science<br>
Political Science<br>
<br>
<a href=3D"mailto:amjordan@mit.edu" target=3D"_blank">amjordan@mit.edu</a><=
br>
916.813.7740<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
</div></div></blockquote>
<br>
</blockquote>
<br>
</blockquote></div><br>
--0016364c70b9864ad10475f275b3--
