The Undergraduate Student Government revised part of the Financial Bylaws at last week’s meeting in order to make it easier for clubs to host guest speakers.
Before the revision, the USG Financial Bylaws stated, “When hosting Guest Speakers a club/organization may not: 1. Purchase a guest speaker for more than $2,000.00. 2. Spend more than $6,000.00 per Academic Year to host guest speakers.” USG defines a guest speaker as “any speaker who is paid with the Student Activity Fee by a Funded Organization.”
USG set forth in revising the Financial Bylaws for guest speakers because they found the amount clubs and organizations were allowed to pay for the speakers “is too low to allow for an adequate amount of speakers for some clubs, therefore hindering their functionality.”
The intended revision for section 118.3.2 of the Financial Bylaws was to read, “When hosting Guest Speakers a club/organization may not spend more than $10,000 per Academic year to host guest speakers,” yet on a recommendation of Senator Adams, there is now no limit to what clubs may spend as long as the budget committee approves the club’s request.
If clubs wish to spend more than $2,000, it can if it meets guidelines the new revision in the Financial Bylaws.
The new revision now outlines a club must not spend more without “a. Providing Evidence that they are paying no greater than 10 percent of that any other entity has paid the speaker in the past b. Receiving approval of the budget committee.”