Student Activities Budget Committee (SABC)

SABC Contact Person:
Robert Isabella, USG Treasurer
You may contact Robert via email at irw86@earthlink.net or put a note in the SABC mailbox located in the Office of Student Leadership and Community Development (Room LL 408).

SABC Guidelines:
The Student Activities Budget Committee (SABC) is responsible for the policies, procedures and allocation of the student activity fee.  The SABC is a USG committee that contains both USG and non-USG representatives.
The success of SABC is contingent upon the close relationship between the Office of Student Leadership and Community Development, officially registered student clubs and the United Student Government (USG) leadership that facilitates the SABC process.  SABC is an independent committee that is responsible for managing its own processes, procedures, and guidelines with the supervision of the Director of Student Leadership and Community Development.


The SABC shall be composed of the following members:
1. The USG Treasurer, who shall serve as chairperson and who is a non-voting member;
2. The USG President;

Procedure for selecting the 7 student representatives of SABC:
One member from each of the executive boards of the departmentally-sponsored, non-SABC funded student student groups SPARC, CSA, and RHA will be appointed by the group's advisor(s). (3 seats)

One USG representative will be appointed by the USG President and USG Treasurer from interested applicants within the USG Senate.  The USG President and USG Treasurer may appoint a member of USG to SABC if Senators do not apply for the position.  In the event the USG President and USG Treasurer are unable to come to a consensus, the Director of Student Leadership and Community Development/USG Advisor will be consulted to help make the decision. (1 seat)

One CAB representative will consist of a member of the CAB executive board who will be approved by the group’s advisor.  (1 seat)

Two student club representatives will be appointed by the USG President and USG Treasurer from interested applicants who serve on the Executive Board within officially registered student clubs.  The USG President and the USG Treasurer may appoint a club representative to SABC if club leaders do not apply for the position.  In the event the USG President and the USG Treasurer are unable to come to a consensus, the Director of Student Leadership and Community Development/USG Advisor will be consulted to help make the decision. (2 seats)

3. Dean of Students;
4. Student Affairs Administrator (appointed by the Dean of Students);
5. Director of Student Leadership and Community Development;
6. The USG Secretary, to serve as recording secretary for SABC and is a non-voting member.

All members of SABC are expected to attend all SABC meetings for the entire time of the meeting.  In the event of an absence by an SABC committee member, proxy votes will not be factored into the budget allocation process.  Quorum must be met before budget decisions can be made.  Quorum is 70% of SABC members.

The Student Activities Budget Committee MUST meet every two weeks during the academic year to hear late budget requests, appeals, and reallocation requests.

The SABC shall operate under Robert's Rules of Order. 

SABC General Guidelines:
1. The student club or organization must be registered with the Office of Student Leadership and Community Development before a budget request can be submitted to the SABC.

This includes:
          a). a Constitution (approved by the United Student Government and the Dean of Students)
          b). a current list of club officers, club members and advisor (submitted to the Office of
               Student Leadership and Community Development)

2. Allocation Criteria - The SABC will consider budget requests based on but not limited to the following criteria:
          a). The nature, number and scope of the services and activities provided.
          b). The number of students participating in and being served by the organization's programs,
               activities and/or services.
          c). The opportunities for social and cultural activities not readily available to the student body.
          d). The effort to reach as many potential members as possible.
          e). The education and personal development opportunities offered to student members.

Funding Restrictions:
The SABC does not fund any club or organization which is exclusionary.
1. The SABC will not allocate funds for politicians or political parties.
2. The SABC will not fund local mailings to members.
3.The SABC will not provide funding for activities that are exclusive only to membership of one organization (e.g. banquets, end of semester parties, etc.).
4. The SABC does not allocate funding towards the purchasing of alcoholic beverages.
5. The SABC does not fund transportation inside Manhattan.
6. The SABC does not fund charitable organizations.
7. The SABC will not fund requests that contain incomplete information about the event or program, such as itemized costs, specific honorarium information, specific travel information, contract prices, etc.  The SABC will not allocate lump sums.  All allocations must beapplied to the program they were requested for.  Appeals, late budgets and programs that are resubmitted due to insufficient information are reviewed twice a month.  Clubs should recognize that funding is limited.  Appeals, late budgets and resubmitted proposals may not receive funding or may receive partial funding.  It is in the clubs' best interest to plan in advance and itemize expenses for all programs in the original budget packet.  Late budgets are subject to a 20% deduction of the final budget.
8. The SABC reserves the right to refrain from funding any activity that involves risk to students. 
9. The SABC will fund a limited amount of student travel expenses for conferences.  Please consultthe guidelines concerning student travel for specific information.
10. The SABC willnot fund honoraria for full-time faculty/administration/staff.
11. The SABC will not fund advertisements in the Observer or advertisements geared towards reaching a community outside of Fordham. This includes, but is not limited to, mailings, postcards, and flyers.
12. The SABC does not allocate funds retroactively, that is, after the event requiring the funds has taken place.

Guidelines for SABC Ethical Behavior:
1. If a member of SABC is an active member of a club or organization, s/he must abstain from voting on her or his club's budget.
2. If a member of SABC is advocating for a club or organization that he/she has personal ties to, the SABC member must identify that he/she has information that was shared by his/her contact with membership of the club.
3. All members of SABC are expected to attend all SABC meetings for the entire time of the meeting.
4. In the event of an absence by an SABC committee member, proxy votes will not be factored into the budget allocation process.
5. Debates about funding specific requests must be professional and appropriate.

Accessing Funds:
Access to funding is frozen each semester until the organization's President and Treasurer attend a Basic Training Workshop.

Over-Expenditures:
It is the responsibility of each club or organization to know how much money it has available for spending at any given time.  It is the policy of the SABC and the Office of Student Leadership and Community Development that no club or organization may spend more for an event than the club or organization has been allocated by the SABC.  If, during the course of a semester, an organization discovers that it needs additional funds, the club may appeal for additional funding to the SABC, Dean of Students or Director of Student Leadership and Community Development.

Surpluses:
Any SABC-allocated funds remaining in a club's account at the end of a semester will revert to the SABC contingency account. These monies will be allocated along with the next semester's Student Activities Fee.  Monies generated through a club's activities will remain in the respective club's SABC account.

Revenue Generating Activities:
Within the parameters of the University's policies on sales, solicitations, and fund raising, student clubs and organization are encouraged to organize events and programs to raise funds for their specific purposes.  These funds can be used only for purposes consistent with those of the club or organization and University policy.  These monies must be deposited with the Executive Secretary of Student Leadership and Community Development on the next business day.

All revenue collected by student clubs for fund-raisers, advertising, ticket sales etc., must be given to the Office of Student Leadership and Community Development for deposit immediately upon receipt.

Inactive Clubs:
Any self-generated funds in the account of a club or organization that has been inactive for a period of two consecutive years (four consecutive semesters) will automatically revert to the general contigency fund.

SABC Funding of Student Travel:
Please see the SABC funding guidelines listed under the  "Funding Student Travel" section listed on the left navigation column.