Report from the

Ad-Hoc Committee on the Funding of Student

Activities at Marquette University

A Committee of the Marquette University Student Government Senate

February 28, 2008

Committee Members:
David Hohs
Paige Jorgensen
Meghan Ladwig
Abe Matthews
Giuseppe Pappalardo
Ryan Schlitt
James Schott
Tim Smith
Stephanie Stopka
Henry Thomas
 Table of Contents

Introduction and Background 3-4

Issues with the Student Organization Allocation (SOA) Process 4-5

Student Organization Reaction to the SOA Process 5

Conclusions and Recommendations 6-7

Appendix A: Student Organizations Participating in Survey 8

Appendix B: MUSG Fiscal Year 2008 Budget 9-10

Appendix C: Proposed Reserve Allocation and SAF Increase 11

Appendix D: Jesuit School Survey Responses 12

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Introduction
The Ad-Hoc Committee on Funding of Student Activities was formed by Marquette
University Student Government (MUSG) Legislative Vice President Jason Rae in the Fall of 2007.
The committee was charged with investigating the current system of funding student activities,
including a review of the student activity fee and to provide recommendations on how to improve
the student organization allocation process. This was a proactive step to attempt to balance the
financial needs of the growing number of student organizations and their events with a relatively
stagnant budget to allocate to student organizations. The committee also reviewed how student
activities are funded and how club sports and other organizations traveling both domestically and
internationally funded.

Background
The SOA process is one of the most visible ways in which MUSG interacts with the student
body. Each semester, full-time undergraduate students pay a $27 Student Activity Fee (SAF). The
entire amount of SAF revenue that is generated from that fee goes to MUSG. In MUSG’s annual
budgeting process, the constitution mandates that a minimum of 33 percent of the total SAF revenue
is available for allocation to recognized student organizations by the Student Organization
Allocation Committee. Despite the minimum requirement, the Budget Committee allocated roughly
35% of the SAF revenue to the SOA process in FY08.

The SAF was increased to $27 per semester ($54 per year) in FY06. Previously, the SAF
was $24 per semester. A work group similar to the committee writing this report determined a $3
per semester increase would increase the funding available to student organizations at that time.
However, continued increases in the number of student organizations and their events and anecdotal
data from student organizations and members of the SOA Committee prompted the formation of
this committee.

Over the past several years, the number of student organizations and student organization
events has increased dramatically (See Table 1). In FY02, there were 151 student organizations. As
of January 31, 2008, there are 243 student organizations. This is nearly a 61% increase in 8 years.
From FY06 (when the SAF increased) to the present, there has been a 5% increase in the number of
student organizations. That number will increase by the end of FY08, as we are on track to break
the 250 organization mark this academic year.

Table 1: FY08
Recognized Student Organization Data FY02 FY03 FY04 FY05 FY06 FY07 (YTD)
Number of organizations recognized by
the Office of Student Development 151 186 195 223 232 248 243
Number of events registered and
approved by the Office of Student
Development 931 1,470 1,661 2,094 1,108 1,074 756
Number of registered events supported by
the Student Organization Allocations
process n/a 131 162 159 109 177

Likewise, the number of events sponsored by student organizations has increased over time
(a phenomenon that makes sense, given that the number of student organizations has increased.)

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The increase is quite probably more significant than the numbers indicate. While the numbers show
a decrease in the number of events from FY05 to FY06, this drop was due to a policy change in the
event registration process. Beginning in FY06, the Office of Student Development no longer
required organizations to register general meetings and information tables. Despite this policy
change, there are still more events registered with the Office of Student Development than in FY02.
Organizations are on track to surpass the number of events in the past two fiscal years in FY08.

Issues With the Student Organization Allocation (SOA) Process

A review of financial data over the past number of years reveals a few apparent trends in
SOA data. The table below illustrates these trends. Although the SAF increased $6 per year in
FY06, it did not increase the committee’s ability to fund a greater percent of what is requested by
organizations. This is likely due to the increase in the number of student organizations over the
same period of time.

As seen in the table below the amount requested from FY03 to FY07 has gone up 80%
($151,158). In the same timeframe, the number of student organizations receiving funding
increased from 50 to 94, an 86% increase. In FY02 only one organization received an allocation
over $1,500 or more, compared to FY07 when 36 received allocations of that amount. (See
Appendix)

Table 2: Description FY03 FY04 FY05 FY06 FY07

Amount requested by student
organizations $190,682 $174,732 $247,338 $357,285 $341,840
Amount allocated by MUSG to
student organizations $84,566 $95,657 $107,505 $128,509 $166,940
Percent of requested amount
allocated 44% 55% 43% 36% 49%

We see two additional reasons besides the increase in student organizations for the increase
in the amount requested by student organizations:

(1) Club Sports

The number of Club Sports has increased drastically in the past few years. In FY07, 23 Club
Sports requested funding. That is 10 more Club Sports than in FY02 and 1 more than in FY06 when
the SAF was increased. There are 29 registered Club Sports as of January 31, 2008. With new club
sports added during FY08, those organization will likely apply for funding, increasing the number
of funding requests from Club Sports. In addition, while the number of club sports requesting
funding has increased, practice space and other non-financial resources for these organizations have
not increased.

Some of the largest funding requests reviewed by the SOA committee are from Club Sports.
This is likely due to the high cost of participating in Club Sports and a lack of recreational sports
practice and game space. As a result, Club Sports have to travel more frequently and this leads to
higher travel costs. The majority of money allocated by the SOA committee to Club Sports is
allocated to cover travel expenses and conference fees. Club Sports can also receive funding from a
small fund managed by Rec Sports, however that fund yields less for club sports than SOA funding.

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 Table 3: Comparison of Average Allocations FY02 FY03 FY04 FY05 FY06 FY07
Club Sports Average Allocation $1,592 $2,111 $1,815 $1,872 $2,455 $3,104

Non-Club Sport Organizations Average Allocation $686 $1,020 $931 $972 $1,157 $1,346
Difference $906 $1,091 $884 $900 $1,298 $1,758

In FY07, the average allocation to Club Sports was $1,758 more than the average allocation
to non-club sport student organizations. This figure is the result of a steady increase in the
difference in allocations between these two groups from FY04 to the present.

A club sport has also received the highest annual allocation from FY 02-07. Also in that
same time period, the number of club sports receiving allocations of $1,500 or more is
proportionately larger than those of non-club sport organizations.

(2) Service and Social Awareness Organizations

Service and Social Awareness organizations have been allocated the second largest amount
of any other category of organizations. Since FY 04 this segment has been growing at a rapid pace.
In FY04 there was a total of $5,810 allocated to service and social awareness organizations (6% of
the total amount allocated to student organizations that year.) In FY07, that number grew to
$24,237 (14.5% of the total amount allocated to student organizations that year.) As of January 31,
2008, $15, 376 has been allocated to this category (roughly 15% of total allocations with five of
seven funding periods complete.) The highest amount requested to date in FY08 was for $36,280
from Global Medical Brigades. In addition, the only other way these organizations can consistently
support themselves is through fundraising and personal contributions.

Student Organization Reaction to the SOA Process

In an attempt to evaluate the SOA process, we decided to conduct an informal email survey
of student organization officers to gather feedback about their experiences. We received 47
responses (including 12 from Club Sports). The following section summarizes their feedback. (A
list of the responding organizations can be found in the Appendix.)

Student organizations are only partially aware of the SOA process. They understand the
process but some find the application to be long, arbitrary, and complicated. One of the largest
misunderstandings about the process is the total amount budgeted for allocations as well as the SOA
committee structure. Those with larger requests do not know the finite nature of the budget, and
believed their allocations were unfair. On the other hand, those with small relatively requests
complain that their events are not funded fully.

When asked on how to improve the process, students responded with the following suggestions:
 Give more money to organizations that improve Marquette’s image
 Harmonize OSD’s and MUSG’s student organization registration and funding policies
 Create a campus-wide fundraiser
 Provide more training on the SOA process.
 Create additional funding periods

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  Make funding application forms easier to understand
Conclusions and Recommendations
Over the past five fiscal years there have been three trends affecting student activities at
Marquette. These trends led to an increase in requests for funding. Due to this increase and lack of
change in the pool of money available, organizations are receiving less than adequate amounts of
funding for their events.

The first trend is an increase in the number of student organizations from 151 in FY03 until
248 in FY08. The second trend is an increase in funding requests for clubs sports. From fiscal year
2003 to fiscal year 2007, the amount requested has increased seventy-three percent. The third trend
is an increase in funding requests from service and social awareness organizations. From FY 2004
to FY 2007, there has been a 317% increase in the amount of money requested for these types of
events, from $5,810 to $24, 236.

As a result of these trends, this committee makes the following recommendations:

First, let it be recommended that MUSG should transfer a total of $42,000 transferred from the
MUSG Reserve Fund to the SOA budget over the next three fiscal years. In fiscal year 2009, we
recommend $21,000 be added to the SOA budget from the Reserve Fund, $14,000 in fiscal year
2010, and in fiscal year 2011 $7,000 should be moved from the Reserve Fund to the SOA budget.

In addition to the transfer of funds from the MUSG Reserve Fund, it is also the recommendation of
this committee that the student activity fee is raised by a total of $14 per year ($7 a semester) by
2012. In fiscal year 2009, no change can take place so the changes will start in fiscal year 2010 with
a three dollar increase each semester for a total of a $6 increase in FY2010. In fiscal year 2011, a
two dollar increase each semester for a total of a $4 increase in FY2011 followed by the same
increase in fiscal year 2012, two dollars each semester for a total of a $4 increase in FY2011. This
plan will give the SOA process a more even playing field while also not increasing the current
students investment in an obtuse manner. (See appendix D for table)

Due to the increase in the number and amount of funding requests from club sports, the
amount of time spent on the review of Club Sports funding applications during SOA meetings has
increased dramatically. Even though the applications from student organizations and Clubs Sports
are considered separately, they still draw from the same target budget each funding period. In
effect, these groups are competing with each other for funds. We recommend that the Budget
Committee create separate budget lines for club sports and student organizations. The budget
committee shall determine the ratio of funding for club sports and student organizations based on an
historical weighted average during the budgeting process. Secondly, we recommend that there shall
be two separate and distinct funding periods for club sports: one in November for spring season
requests and the other at the end of April for fall season requests. This would be an addition to the
Financial Policies of the MUSG Governing Documents Section III J:

In addition to these funding opportunities there shall also be two funding opportunities to
consider requests from club sports organizations. These opportunities shall be exclusively
for consideration of requests from club sports organizations, and club sports organizations

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 may apply only during these two opportunities. The funding deadlines will occur in April
for the following the fall semester and in November for the following spring semester.

It is also the recommendation of this committee that the minimum percentage of the Student
Activity Fee increase from 33 percent (current) to 35 percent. This would ensure that the SOA
committee continued to receive the 35 percent that has been customary in the past few years. It is
also the recommendation of this committee that the budget committee goes beyond this minimum
35 percent if deemed necessary. We recommend that the Financial Policies of MUSG Governing
Documents Section V Article B 4 be amended to say:

The amount of funds available for the allocation to recognized student organizations by the
Student Organization Allocation Committee through the process outlined in Section III.
This amount shall be divided into two sums, one for club sports organizations and one for
non-club sports organizations, and the total for both shall be a figure that is not less than
35% of the SAF Revenue.

Finally, this committee recommends that the financial policies be changed to not allow
student organizations to apply for the same event in two separate funding periods. The current
policy allows for a gray area that undermines the appeal process. This committee recommends that
the Financial Policies of MUSG Governing Documents Section III Article E 2:

No sponsor will be permitted to receive SAF funds in more than three (3) allocation periods
per year and no sponsor may apply for the same event in more than one funding period.

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 Appendix A: Student Organizations Participating in Survey

Arts and Sciences Student Council International Business Student Association

Bayanihan Student Organization Italian Club
Campus Crusade for Christ Japanese Club
Club Baseball Jewish Student Union
Club Bowling Knights of Columbus
Club Curling Latin American Student Organization
Club Hockey (2) Linux Users Group
Club Rowing Mac Users Groups
Club Rugby Men’s Marquette University Chorus
Club Rugby Women’s Marquette University Players Society
Club Running Muslim Student Association
Club Tennis National Student Speech Language Hearing
Club Ultimate Frisbee Association
Club Volleyball Men’s Pure Dance Marquette
Cosa Meara Irish Dance Company of Robotics at Marquette
Marquette Society of Women Engineers
Delta Phi Alpha German Honor Society Students for an Environmentally Active
Empowerment Campus
Financial Management Association Students for Life
Gamers Association at Marquette Supporting Special Olympics
Global Village Tae Kwon Do Club
Health Sciences Student Council The Institute of Transportation Engineers
Hope In Tanzania at Marquette The Naturals
Indonesian Students Association at Women and Youth Supporting Each Other
Marquette University Women in Business

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 Appendix B: MUSG Fiscal Year 2008 Budget
Account Line Name FY 2008 Budget

REVENUE
4000 Activity Fee Revenue $374,700.00
4100 Interest Revenue $7,000.00
4200 Film Revenue $10,000.00
4300 Concert Revenue $22,000.00
4400 Special Events Revenue $2,500.00
4500 Marquette Excursions Revenue $6,000.00
4600 Senior Week Revenue $33,000.00
TOTAL REVENUE $455,200.00

ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES
6000 Administrative Salaries $33,500.00
6010 Telephone Expenses $200.00
6020 Postage Expenses $100.00
6030 Office Supplies $2,100.00
6050 Photocopier Expenses $1,300.00
6280 MUSG Recognition Reception $750.00
6420 Senate Operations $400.00
6430 Ongoing Volunteer Recognition $550.00
5200 Technology $2,500.00
5300 Organizational Training $4,500.00
5700 Bank Expenses $1,500.00
TOTAL ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES $47,400.00

STUDENT ORGANIZATION ALLOCATIONS

8500 Student Organizations $131,000.00
TOTAL S.O.A. EXPENSES $131,000.00

PROGRAMS AND SERVICES

6070 Tutorial Program $4,000.00
6100 Senior Speaker $250.00
6110 Fall Election $150.00
6120 Spring Election $800.00
6125 Inauguration $300.00
6130 Student Advocacy $100.00
6190 Outreach $2,000.00
6260 All MUSG Advertising $3,000.00
5400 AMU Funding Agreement $7,500.00
TOTAL PROGRAMS AND SERVICES EXPENSES $18,100.00

PROGRAM BOARD
7000 NACA Membership $650.00
7110 NACA Convention $3,750.00
5500 Taxes $3,500.00
7030 Licensing $3,500.00
7100 After Dark Programs $30,000.00
7110 Diversity $8,000.00
7130 Speakers $35,000.00
7140 Marquette Excursions $10,600.00
7150 Films $29,000.00
7160 Concerts $69,000.00
7220 Special Events $23,000.00
7250 Senior Weekend $2,200.00
7300 Senior Week $38,000.00
7350 New Programming Initiatives $2,500.00
TOTAL PROGRAM BOARD EXPENSES $258,700.00

TOTAL EXPENSES $455,200.00

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 Appendix C: Proposed Reserve Allocation and SAF Increase

Basic Information

A B C D E F
Additional Money from
SAF/Year Estimated # Base SAF Revenue Prior Year Reserve
FY SAF/Sem (Bx2) students/year (CxD) Fund
FY08 $27.00 $54.00 6800 $367,200.00 $0
FY09 $27.00 $54.00 6800 $367,200.00 $21,000.00
FY10 $30.00 $60.00 6800 $408,000.00 $14,000.00
FY11 $32.00 $64.00 6800 $435,200.00 $7,000.00
FY12 $34.00 $68.00 6800 $462,400.00 $0

SOA Calculation

G H I J K L
Money from Prior
Base SAF Base SOA Year Reserve Fund Total SOA Budget
FY Revenue (E) SOA % Budget (HxI) (F) (JxK)
FY08 $367,200.00 0.35 $128,520.00 $0 $128,520.00
FY09 $367,200.00 0.35 $128,520.00 $21,000.00 $149,520.00
FY10 $408,000.00 0.35 $142,800.00 $14,000.00 $156,800.00
FY11 $435,200.00 0.35 $152,320.00 $7,000.00 $159,320.00
FY12 $462,400.00 0.35 $161,840.00 $0 $161,840.00

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 Appendix D: Jesuit School Survey Responses
# of
# Under- Undergraduate Full-Time Undergraduate
Recognized
Name of Institution graduates Tuition Per Student Activity Fee Per
Student
(Fulltime) Semester Semester ($)
Organizations
Boston College 8,600 200 $17,575.00 $67.00
Canisius College 3,300 103 $12,685.00 1% of Tuition
College of the Holy Cross 3,000 88 $17,315.00 1% of Tuition
Creighton 3,800 185 $12,808.00 $403.00
Fairfield University 3,200 81 $16,670.00 $42.50
Fordham - Lincoln Center 1,600 37 $15,900.00 $250.00
Fordham - Rose Hill 5,000 93 $15,900.00 $250.00
Georgetown 6,800 110 $17,784.00 $50.00
Gonzaga University 4,386 126 $13,060.00 $80.00
John Carroll University 3,075 93 $13,072.00 $145.00
Le Moyne College 2,300 50 $11,520.00 $200.00
Loyola College Maryland 3,400 110 $16,575.00 $70.00
Loyola Marymount 5,400 132 $15,902.00 $78.00
Loyola University Chicago 9,000 154 $13,600.00 $295.00
Loyola New Orleans 2,655 90 $12,816.00 $40.00
Marquette University 7,234 243 $13,135.00 $27.00
Regis University 1,150 40 $10,100.00 $150.00
Rockhurst 1,591 53 $11,000.00 $120.00
Saint Joseph's University $15,425.00
Saint Louis University 7,279 170 $14,240.00 $49.00
Saint Peter's College 1,700 58 $11,713.00
Santa Clara University 5,000 73 $11,000.00 $160/student from tuition
Seattle University 4,253 130 $13,162.50 None - Negotiated Budget
Spring Hill College $11,550.00
University of Detroit Mercy $13,125.00
University of San Francisco 5,400 100 $15,420.00 $80.00
University of Scranton 4,081 71 $14,229.00
Wheeling Jesuit University $11,345.00
Xavier University 3,458 91 $12,330.00 1% of Tuition

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