With over 500 CIOs at the University, students around Grounds have many opportunities to get involved. Fly Fishing Club, Turkish Society, 3.7 Magazine -- CIOs represent all sorts of diverse hobbies, cultures and interests at the University. Though the purposes of these clubs may vary, one thing binds them all together: They need money to operate.
According to Student Council Appropriations Committee Chair Tyler Boles, the University annually sets aside about half a million dollars for student groups. Still, Boles said, this isn't enough for the almost $1.5 million requested by CIOs.
The Student Council Appropriations Committee decides which CIOs get money, how much funding each CIO receives and even what they can do with their StudCo allotted funds.
Two years ago, Student Council refined its appropriations process with the implementation of a rolling application process. Now Council has moved to an online application system. This is the first semester it has been in place.
The Process
Roughly 350 student groups apply for money through the CIO appropriations process each year, according to Boles. Though the process can be confusing at times, Boles said the Appropriations Committee's role is to make sure applying for funds is as simple as possible.
"We're very enthusiastic and happy to be here," Boles said. "We're here to work with [the student groups]."
According to Anna Popova, Student Council vicepresidentfororganizations, groups can apply for funds to cover their travel, activity and operational expenses. There are two different ways to do this, she said: either by applying through an annualized funding process or through a rolling process.
Groups seeking annualized funds are usually well-established CIOs with definite expenses for the year, such as club sports, Popova said. These groups apply in the spring for a lump sum of money to cover the entire upcoming year.
On the other hand, the rolling admissions process allows groups to apply for money as expenses arise throughout the year, Popova explained.
This is only the second year a rolling system has been offered, Popova added, and the new system seems to be altering appropriations requests. Since its installation, there has been a decline in the amount of groups applying for money in the annual process.
"It doesn't leave any groups out of funding," she said.
The Online Budget
Once groups decide to apply for funds, they need to fill out a budget to present to the Appropriations Committee, itemizing each of their expected expenditures. To aid in this process, Appropriations has introduced a new online budgeting system, replacing the paper applications.
Applying online "creates an automatic copy" of the CIO's budget, Popova said, which is useful for both members of the student group as well the Appropriations Committee because it gives them each immediate access to the information.
After filling out an online budget, the CIO must attend an appropriations hearing, offered five times each semester, Popova said. At these hearings, groups meet with three or four Appropriations Committee members to review their application.
The new online process "worked out really well. We can look at the screen and make annotations" while at the hearing, Boles said.
Once the committee has reviewed and adjusted the budget, the information is easily accessible to the CIOs.
"There're glitches [in the system], but overall, it's superior to the paper application," Popova said. "[Student Council] and the CIOs have instant access" to the information.
Popova said the new online application gives the process a greater transparency.
"It forces the committee to be more open," she said. "The group in the end walks away with a better sense of what they'll end up getting."
CIO Reactions to the New System
Virginia Rugby Treasurer Zach Mote said the appropriations process went smoothly for him and his club when he applied for annualized funds in the spring of last year.
"I like sitting down and being able to talk about our budget," he said.
However, Mote's team didn't end up seeing some of the money initially allocated to them in appropriation hearings, Mote said.
"What always hurts us is the across the board budget cuts," he said. "One year we thought we'd get $15,000, then they did the across the board cuts and we ended up with about half of that."
With a limited amount of money to allocate, the Appropriations Committee made an across the board budget cut last spring, Popova said. These cuts reduce operational funding by 30 percent and traveling expense funding by 60 percent, she said.
"A lot of people here have very negative experiences with Appropriations because we're the guys that cut your budget," Boles said.
In order to make up for these cuts, Virginia Rugby raises money from other sources by collecting dues, holding fundraisers and finding sponsors, Mote said.
"Appropriations [funding] covers a very small part of our budget," he noted.
Thomas Codevilla, treasurer of the Virginia Advocate, also mentioned that his group received budget cuts, but he said he remained pleased with the ultimate outcome.
"I was really happy with [the process] and the funds we got. Without it, we wouldn't be functioning," he said.
According to Codevilla, the appropriations process was simple for newcomers to understand.
"Having never done anything like that before, I thought it was pretty straightforward," he said. "The applications are pretty simple."
Citing his group's conservative political viewpoints, Codevilla mentioned the fairness of the Appropriations Committee as a positive factor in his experiences. Codevilla said as long as you have a definite plan, funding is very accessible at the University.
"At some schools you have to be afraid you're not going to get money," Codevilla said, explaining that some student councils won't give funds to groups whose ideology they oppose.
Boles also discussed the fairness of the appropriations process.
"The committee members have a very open mind towards every group," he said. "A single person doesn't make the decision; we have three members that look at every budget."
Determining What is Essential
Other students, such as the Van Buren Boys President, have not had such a positive experience with the appropriations process.
"I've been allocated money, and I haven't seen a dime," teh Van Buren Boys president said. "It's a huge pain in the [butt]."
The president of The Van Buren Boys, a "Seinfeld" appreciation club, said his organization was allocated funds through the appropriations process. After making several club purchases, the Van Buren Boys preident said he brought his receipts to the Newcomb Business Office to get reimbursed but was told he couldn't turn in receipts more than thirty days after the purchase date.
"They're looking for any kind of loophole in the document to screw you out of the money," he said. "I don't know what the hell they allocated the money for."
According to the Van Buren Boys president, the employees handling the reimbursements "didn't have any idea what was going on" and could not answer any of his questions.
"I guess it turns out most of the money they allocated was for traveling ... they didn't approve anything I really needed," he said, explaining that appropriations would not cover the purchase of "Seinfeld" DVDs or several other items for his group.
After this experience with appropriations, the Van Buren Boys president said he did not apply for funding.
"I didn't even apply this year, it's not worth my time," he said. "For all the money they have, they're real stingy with it."
More Communication for the Future
In spite of all the recent advancements with the process, Popova said she still hopes to improve the system in the future.
"Communication -- it's a problem," she said. "It's a hard balance. The system isn't difficult -- I think people
Read More
Ben Ueltschey reflects on tumultuous term as IFC president
By Ford McCracken | 1 hours agoBut for a university which had not seen a chapter’s FOA terminated since 2022, the investigation into Kappa Sigma turned up the pressure on Ueltschey and the University writ large.
U.Va. Dine launches new partnership with ReusePass for reusable container program
By Brandon Kile | YesterdayWhile students will still have the option to choose between a reusable and disposable container at Gaston Food Hub, reusable containers are now the only option for to-go meals at the dining halls.
Guide Service will focus on historical tours after SSO agreement termination
By Cecilia Mould | YesterdayAs the organization prepares to conduct itself independently, Taliaferro said that general body members of the Guide Service are frustrated but looking forward to the future.
