Thursday, October 21, 1999
The University Daily Kansan
Section A • Page 3
Senate adopts new funding procedure
By Chris Borniger writer @kansan.com Kansan staff writer
Six student organizations will have to take a slightly different path to use the money Student Senate gives them from now on.
A bill passed by the finance committee last night mandates that six organizations receiving block allocation funding submit their spending requests to Senate Treasurer Patrick McGiffert.
The organizations affected are the Black Student Union, Hispanic-American Leadership Organization, Asian American Student Union, Center for Community Outreach and Student Bar Association. The elections commission also is subject to the new process.
An organization granted a block allocation usually has full authority to spend the money allocated to it. However, it is not
allowed to request line-item or unallocated funding.
McCiffen said the legislation was necessary because the University of Kansas started using a different accounting software, PeopleSoft, to pay bills. The treasurers of most student organizations aren't trained on how to use the software, he said.
For reasons of security and efficiency, the University limits the number of people who can access the new accounting system.
McGiffert is one of only three students approved by the department of student affairs to use the software.
He said the bill also was necessary because these groups had no auditing procedure, while other organizations receiving block funding did. Because the organization's spending requests now require McGiffert's approval, he can remove certain provisions via line-item.
making sure these groups were using their money properly," McGiffert said. "This was brought upon by the actions of student groups. We're not doing this for fun. I don't get paid extra."
"It made sense for Student Senate to begin
The modification will not affect how much money each organization received this academic year.
The bill was the subject of nearly 50 messages on Senate's listserv this week, including some e-mails alleging discriminatory motives.
Chris Hess, social welfare senator, motioned to table the bill until an independent task force could compile more information on the bill. His motion failed.
"Whether or not this bill gets passed here, the University will require this same procedure," said Aravind Muthukrishnan, legislation co-sponsor and Finance committee chairman.
—Edited by Chris Hutchison
Continued from page 1A
"What this would be is a nice gift for the University because, we'd be renovating their building," she said.
Working out the recreation center
Henry cited the success of the referendum as sufficient reason to make the new center a free-standing one. The referendum passed by more than a 2-to-1 majority, 2,877 to 1,233.
Lindsey Gaston, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences senator, said choosing an addition would border on fraud.
"It's like the old bait and switch — promising one thing and giving a very different product," he said. "This was specifically written for a certain goal. Anything else is a perversion of that."
University Affairs and Student Rights committees also approved a bill that, if included in University Senate rules and regulations, would give students more time to choose the credit or no credit option for classes. Now, students only
can do so during the third and fourth weeks of classes. The petition asks that this period be moved back to the fifth and sixth weeks.
In other business, committees approved bills to:
Modify the Code of Student Rights and Responsibilities to give students more privileges in disciplinary hearings.
- Initiate the Senate New Student Project program through which freshmen and readmitted students could become involved in task forces and committees.
A petition to the University asking it to offer more community service opportunities in class curricula.
Allocate $275 to the Public Relations Student Society of America
Allocate $237 to the Adopt-a-School program.
Also, the Finance committee tabled a bill that would allocate $5,000 to the National Council of Negro Women.
Pumpkin Patch photos by Roger Nomer/ KANSAN
— Edited by Allan Davis
Troy Willoughby, 6, struggles to carry his pumpkin out of the patch. His teacher told the class they could keep any pumpkin they could carry so Willoughby tried to haul his pumpkin out. Although he dropped it a few times, he made it back to his class.
Troy Willoughby, 6, (front) spots an ideal pumpkin while his friend Dane from Raintreet Montessori School visited the Free State Farm Pumpkin Patch, McCullouah, 4, examines another one. Willoughby and McCullouh's class 1431 N. 1900 Road, Tuesday afternoon.
Electrically powered jack -a'- lanterns light the way into the Free State Farm Pumpkin Patch.
Dane McCullough, a 4-year-old student from Raintree Montessori School, weighs his pumpkin as his teacher, Pam Shanks, watches. McCullough's pumpkin topped out at about 14 pounds, one of the largest in his class.
Jessie McClung, Oskaloosa resident, and her daughter Jessie, 16 months, examine a pumpkin for jack-o'-lantern possibilities. Even though the weather was a little cold, Jessie enjoyed her first trip to a pumpkin patch with her mom.
Electrically powered jack-o-'lanterns show visitors the way out of the Free State Farm Pumpkin Patch.