GSB talks student groups’ capital items, funding

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Jonathan Laczniak/Iowa State Daily

Abhijit Patwa, finance director, addresses the issue of funding of capital items to the GSB Senate on Sept. 10. The Senate then discussed how these items can be allocated and agreed to redefine the meaning of funding for capital items. Patwa also explained what this issue means for the finance committee of GSB.

Makayla Tendall

The allotment of student organization equipment, accommodation for disabled students and funding student organizations were discussed at Sept. 10’s Government of the Student Body meeting. 

The Senate discussed redefining how capital items are used by student organizations. The previous definition for how capital items — items that GSB funds upon student organizations’ request — were used meant that the items would only have to be used by the single organization.

The new order passed by the Senate redefined capital items as items that can be used by all students and organizations instead of the ones that requested them.

In an effort to make GSB Senate meetings accessible for all students, Presha Kardile, director of student diversity, proposed posting an accommodation statement on the GSB website. The statement would ensure students with disabilities knew that that necessary accommodations would be made to get them to the meetings if they wanted to attend.

The statement that will now be posted on the GSB website lists the contact information for executive members students may contact to ask about accommodations.  

An additional $3,524 in funding for Student Counseling Services was also discussed. Because of a benefits increase for a psychologist, the service requested an additional $2,524 for individual salaries. Another $1,000 was requested for professional development.

ISU Students for Life Club requested $3,566.64 to fund a trip to the National March for Life Conference in Washington D.C. The SAE Supermileage Team is building a superefficient vehicle for a student design competition. It requested $795.26 for transportation to the competition in Michigan.

The student organization Smile Ninja, which encourages students to complete random acts of kindness, requested $301 for advertising for the club during the fiscal year. 

Representatives from Student Counseling Services, ISU Students for Life, the SAE Supermileage Team and Smile Ninja will be present at the next meeting for the second readings of the bills.