University of Texas at Austin
GRADUATE STUDENT ASSEMBLY
GSA Finance Committee

Meeting: 10/4/2003

Members: Dan Gilman (chair), Don Drumtra, and Abram Weas.

The Finance Committee convened on Saturday to discuss the budget proposal for Fiscal Year 2004-2005.

We agreed that, in light of the university-wide budget cuts, it would be irresponsible and improper to request our usual 10% budget increase. We further agreed that, in fact, it would be desirable to cut costs where possible. This is not only realism, considering reduced funds for allocation, but a show of solidarity with the university.

We agreed that it would be desirable to reduce the Executive Committee Officers' stipends to bring them into parity with those of SG and SCC, as well as to free more of the budget for discretionary line items. We also agreed that we would support further reductions of stipends if we could secure tuition waivers for officers. We came to consensus that, until tuition waivers are a reality, it would be best to reduce stipends to 3/4 of current levels. We agreed to examine this issue throughout FY 2003-2004.

We agreed to separate Copier Maintenance and Computer Maintenance as separate line items, in anticipation of eventual replacement of outmoded technology. At this time, we saw no reason to increase the total requested sum of these line items.

We agreed that it would be desirable to create a GSA administrative assistant position, in order to increase GSA efficiency and to provide a small stipend for a graduate student. However, we have found no way of doing this within the bounds of bureaucratic rules. We agreed to examine this issue throughout FY 2003-2004.

We agreed to increase requested Publicity funds, in light of our increasing activist presence on campus.

We agreed to reduce requested funds for Guest Speakers.

We agreed to insert a line item budgeting for GSA's annual membership but not conference registration fees in relevant professional associations, most likely the National Association of Graduate-Professional Students.

We agreed to keep pre-existing Special Events allocations at current levels. We also agreed to insert a new line item for the annual GSA BBQ, which was well received in all quarters and requires an unusually large sum to cover costs.

We agreed that, although we don't want to eliminate happy hours, our previous pattern of "beer and pizza" is uncomfortably close to "bread and circuses", and is therefore inconsistent with our raised hopes and expectation of stimulating university-wide involvement in GSA. Therefore, we agreed to recommend to GSA that, in future, all Special Events combine food and drink offers with discussions and informal symposia on issues of university business of interest to graduate students.

We agreed that, if we are again allocated funds to disburse to Graduate Student Organizations, we should amend the Standard Operating Procedure for disbursement to encourage both recently formed organizations and older organizations through a sliding scale of allocation to be determined later.

With that, the meeting adjourned.