The Recognized Student Organization Funding Board, the committee that funds student events for the Associated Students of the University of Wyoming, is nearly out of money.
In this first week of the spring semester, the RSO funding board has spent approximately 89 percent of its $140,000 event budget.
ASUW Director of Finance Chris Haakinson calculated the funding board’s balance to be currently at $10,698, which is less than many single event requests approved this year. Haakinson is confidently expecting an additional $6,000 rollover in unused funds from fall semester.
Despite being low on funds, the RSO funding board has funded fewer events — 37 to be exact. Last year, the board funded 57 events.
Haakinson made a point in the Fall 2012 semester to draw attention to the $1,000 jump in average RSO funding board awards. Since that warning, the average RSO funding board award has risen further to $1,400 more than the average award last year.
Additionally, the overall event budget has been increased over the years. There were more dollars to give away than ever before. Last year’s event budget was $136,000 last year, $118,000 two years ago and $111,000 three years ago.
The reason for the award increases, Haakinson said, are the RSOs that come back year after year with the same event, gradually increasing how much they are asking for.
“They’re getting experience in finding the loopholes,” Haakinson said. “One of the big issues is that RSOs are always asking for decorations and silverware and nice dishes. We continually buy that and it’s not getting reused like we’d like.”
The funding board hopes to address the growing issues with RSOs at a town hall meeting scheduled from 12-1 p.m. on Jan. 28 in the Union Ballroom.
Haakinson said RSOs have not been quick to step forward to join the conversation. The board is hoping that the town hall meeting will be where RSOs will begin to voice their opinions on the issue and the changes he believes must happen.
“Something needs to be changed pretty fast. We’re hoping to implement legislation this year so that it goes into effect next year,” Haaksinson said.
Possible changes may include a cap available per event or a percentage of fundraising required before the funding board will award money. Those are solutions for next year though. The board may not have a solution for this year.
The solution will not be pulling dollars from the reserve fund, which is some $150,000 above its recommended ceiling. The RSO funding board voted against this action at the Monday committee meeting.
“The reserve is meant to start new projects and new initiatives at UW. The reserve isn’t really meant to be used for RSO events,” said Haakinson.
So what happens now?
Haakinson said the board will continue RSO meetings, cutting line items where they need to be cut, until the money is gone. There is still $6,500 left in the conference registration fund, as well.
As for the queue of upcoming RSO requests that is greater than the dollar amount left in the funding board budget, “That’s where we are going to take some heat.”
“We’ve always known that RSO is first come, first serve. You knew it was out there. You should have been planning and not depending solely on ASUW funds,” Haakinson said. “The coming weeks are not going to be easy.”
