Letters to the editor: Explaining your SAFAC Allocations

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Posted: 5/9/08

Dear Editor,

The Student Activity Fee Allocation Committee (SAFAC) met over the weekend of April 26 and 27 and determined the annual allocations for the fiscal year 2009. SAFAC began this year with a total of $1,363,224.00 to distribute. SAFAC funded $337, 523.22 in line item expenses, which left a total of $1,025,700.78 available for student organizations. Student organizations applied for a total of $2,181,797.27 for fiscal year 2009 and were allocated $859,298.89 leaving $166,401.89 for appeals. One hundred and twenty student organizations were eligible for SAFAC Annual Allocations. One hundred and fourteen submitted annual allocation Requests and 112 were funded during annual allocations.

Line item expenses include things such as music licensing which allows student organizations to play music at their events, reserve funding of which $75,620.00 was set aside for student organizations, student organization resources which provides various resources to all student organizations, CEO & CEO II programming offered to the student body, subsidizes the Drexel University Student Technicians (DUST) which allows these services to be free up until midnight at student organization events, as well as more.

The process totaled 20 plus hours between two days. This year the board split up into two groups creating a bicameral system, with each group containing half the allocations.

By doing so, we believe a more fair appeals system has been created. If Group A reviewed your allocation, and you decide to appeal, Group B will be the one to review it. This allows fresh eyes and ears to review the topic and determine whether a larger allocation is in order.

Groups who met with their SAFAC liaisons tended to fare better than those who did not (which was highlighted in the SAFAC Annual Allocation Information Session). Some common reasons things were not funded were lack of a description, lack of documentation, the event or item in question didn't fit with the mission of the organization and the item requested was a "high risk" item.

Most groups who met with liaison were able to work out these issues before hand. Student organizations that didn't receive what they wished may file an appeals application to ask for funding for the items that were not funded. They must meet with their liaison before filing an appeals application to work out any issues before coming in front of SAFAC.

Appeals applications are available online at www.drexel.edu/safac and are due no later than May 16, 2008 6 p.m. in GSDC room "32F."

It is important to remember that SAFAC is a subsidizing funding source and exists to help student organizations meet some of their financial expectations. SAFAC should never be depended upon as financial means for any student organization to exist.

We strongly encourage student organizations to look at other funding options such as fundraising, soliciting donations, and collecting dues if they are not satisfied with their SAFAC Allocation.

With opening allocations to political and religious groups as well as fraternities and sororities, there are more organizations eligible to apply than ever before. With each new academic year there are also many more student organizations created which also become eligible to apply. The number of student organizations eligible to apply for SAFAC funding can impact how much student organizations will receive in funding through the annual allocations and appeals process.

Joseph Gonzalez

Budget Coordinator and SAFAC Advisor

Drexel University