STUDENT SENATE

Annual Budget Information

Student Senate allocates over $700,000 to student organizations and other initiatives each year, it's important to understand how the Student Senate appropriates student activities fees. Starting in the fall of 2005, the Senate adopted new policies and procedures to make the funding process easier to understand and to encourage efficient use of student dollars.

ANNUAL BUDGETS
Only fully-chartered organizations (no probationary or temporary) organizations are eligible to request an annual budget each spring through the Student Senate Finance Committee.

WHEN ARE SPRING BUDGETS DUE?
Spring budgets are due on February 9, 2007 at 5:00 PM! Do not be late or it will count against your budget request!

HOW TO REQUEST YOUR ANNUAL BUDGET
To request your annual budget, send an e-mail to studentsenate@smu.edu with your name and organizational name.

ANNUAL BUDGET EASY FOUR STEP PROCESS
Step #1:
Please request a copy of the budget form by emailing the us at studentsenate@smu.edu. Please indicate how many budgets you are needing (i.e. PC will need one for each separate committee). We will then send a budget form back to the requesting individual.

Step #2:
E-mail a copy back as per the instructions on the budget form.

Step #3:
Bring 4 hard copies of your completed budget to the SAC (Student Activities Center - 3rd floor of the Hughes-Trigg Student Center). The copies must be 3 hole punched AND stapled.

Step #4:
The organization must sign up for an interview time with the Student Senate Finance Committee. The sign-up sheets will be located in the SAC (Student Activities Center).

IMPORTANT AND HELPFUL INFORMATION
Your organization's completed budget (Steps 1-4) must be turned in to the SAC (Student Activities Center) by 5:00 p.m. February 9, 2007. Budgets not completed and turned in by 5:00 p.m. will be counted as late and deductions to your budget will be made according to the standards set by the Senate Finance Committee.

Download the 2007-2008 Budget Form

ANNUAL BUDGETS TIMELINE
Feb 7 - Begin turning in budgets based on Comptroller Office Hours
Feb 9 - Budgets due by 5pm
(For all groups who did not turn in a budget, please complete the form over the weekend).
Feb 12 - Last day to turn in budget with 30% penalty
Feb 16 -18- Budget Interviews
Feb 23-25 - Budget Retreat
Feb 27 - Budgets presented to Senate
March 6 - Budgets approved by Senate

HELPFUL HINTS

1. When filling out the budget form, put your programs in order of importance.

2. PLEASE put the name of the program on the bottom tab (in the excel spreadsheet). This makes it easier for us to differentiate between them.
3. DO NOT wait until the last minute to start your budget process, it does take a little bit of time to fill out the paperwork, you will be counted late at 5:00 PM on February 9, 2007.