Chapter 606 funding was the dominant topic during last week’s meeting of the Student Government Association.
Sen. Chris Ziegler, chair of the allocations committee, announc-ed some potential changes in the disbursement of 606 funds to student organizations.
“In the past, as a general rule, if it’s an on-campus event, we generally fund whatever they (student organizations) ask,” Ziegler said. “If it is an off-campus event, we fund 33 percent of what they’re asking for as long as it is no more than $2,500.”
According to Ziegler, the so-called “33-percent rule” was never a constitutional stipulation.
“It was just a guideline for us to follow to ensure that we stay out of the hole because 606 was not set up to do off-campus events; it was set up to do on-campus events.”
As it is, Title IV Sections 150-153 of the SGA Code of Laws allows the Senate to allocate up to 50 percent of the total registration fees, lodging and travel expenses for off-campus events.
Ziegler and Vice President Jonathan Fields introduced legislation which would allow the SGA to allocate “a portion or all of” the expenses as opposed to “50 percent.”
“Essentially we’re maintaining the status quo,” Fields said. “We’re taking the number 50 out of the constitution so that 33 percent becomes legal.”
Wishing to discuss the matter further, the senate voted to table the legislation until Tuesday’s meeting.
The acceptance of Fields’ and Ziegler’s proposal, and the allocations committee’s new interpretation of 606 laws may have several implications for organizations requesting money.
First of all, instead of automatically deciding to fund 33 percent of an off-campus event, the committee could potentially allocate more funds to an applicant.
“Basically what the committee recommends may be changing,” Ziegler said.
“As of right now there is not a set percentage on what we’re going to recommend for every organization,” Ziegler said. “We’re going to try and be a bit more open-minded.”
“One of the things we want to try to do is to genuinely address everyone’s individual trip or event and try to recommend a fair allocation,” he said.
Another provision of the proposed amendment states that no more than 40 percent of the annual total Chapter 606 income for an academic year may be allocated for lodging, registration and travel expenses.
This means that organizations should apply early, particularly during the spring semester, in order to secure travel funds which will be limited by the 40-percent law should it pass.
“We won’t be able to go over the 40 percent,” Ziegler said. “We came up with this figure to ensure that the majority of the money is still reserved for on-campus events.”
In addition to discussing 606 law, the SGA allocated $11,683.15 of 606 income to various organizations, including the Advertising Club, Art Students League, Feminist Majority, OASIS, Printmaker’s Guild, Student Ceramics, Student Radiographer, Taletellers of ETSU, TECA and the Wesley Foundation.
In other matters, Secretary-Treasurer Ashley Peake was voted and sworn in as chair of the Elections Committee.
Normally the secretary of interior is responsible for chairing this committee, but Matt Luff’s recent resignation of this office left this position open.
President Derreck Whitson proposed that Peake fill this postion.
“I don’t want to throw somebody into it now and them not be familiar enough with the election process to do a good job,” he said. “Ashley did a great job with the elections last year and I’m confident she’ll do fine this year as well.

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