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Jill Ethridge (President):
Monday: 8:00-10:00 a.m.
Wednesday: 8:00-10:00 a.m.
Friday: 8:00-10:00 a.m.

Laura Poschen (Vice President):
Wednesday 10:00-Noon

Recent Updates

WSBA Bylaw 101: WSBA Budget and Finance Committee

(Revised March 2005, April 2007)

I. Purpose

Bylaw 101 shall govern the appropriations made by the Washburn Student Bar Association (WSBA). Only registered student organizations shall be eligible to receive funds. It is the policy of the Budget and Finance Committee that the distribution of funds to eligible groups shall be in compliance with the Equal Opportunity Policy Statement of the Washburn University School of Law.

II. Creation and Composition of Committee.

A. The Budget and Finance Committee shall be a standing committee of the WSBA. The Budget and Finance Committee shall consist of eight (8) members determined in accordance with this paragraph.

The membership of the committee shall include the WSBA Vice-President, WSBA Treasurer, and two (2) other WSBA Executive Council members to be nominated by the Vice-President and approved by majority vote of the WSBA Executive Council. The Vice President shall nominate four (4) additional committee members from the student body by an application process. These nominations will be subject to final approval by majority vote of the WSBA Executive Council. There shall be a concerted effort by the Vice-President and the WSBA Executive Council to select a diversified cross section of the student body fairly representing the student body and student organizations.

B. The WSBA Vice-President shall serve as Chair of the Budget and Finance Committee and will not be a voting member unless needed to break a tie. However, the Chair will be allowed to participate in the calculation of additional funding as described in Section IX. A Vice-Chair will be elected from those comprising the Budget and Finance Committee to preside in the absence of the Committee Chairperson. A simple majority of the Budget and Finance Committee members will elect the Vice-Chair. The Vice-Chair and all other members of the Budget and Finance Committee shall be voting members.

III. Expulsion of Committee Member.

If, in the opinion of the Budget and Finance Committee Chair, any member of the Committee is unable to perform his/her duties under this Bylaw, including compliance with the Equal Opportunity Policy Statement of the Washburn University School of Law, then the Chair shall order a vote on the expulsion of said member from the committee. Expulsion requires a simple majority vote of eligible Budget and Finance Committee members. The Committee member accused of misconduct shall not be permitted to participate in the expulsion vote.

IV. Eligible Funding Applicant Defined.

Organizations who have been recognized by WSBA, have registered as a student organization with Washburn University, and act in accordance with their Constitution and Bylaws by conducting regular elections and holding regularly scheduled meetings shall be eligible for funding. Each student organization must keep the most recent version of the organization’s Constitution and Bylaws on file with the WSBA Vice-President.

V. Application Process.

A. In the Spring semester of each fiscal year, the WSBA Vice-President shall prepare and distribute a funding application packet requesting all information necessary to make allocations to organizations for the subsequent fiscal year. Each applicant must complete the funding application packet and provide the WSBA Vice-President ten (10) copies. These documents shall be due at a time established by the WSBA Vice-President and as indicated on the application packet. The due date shall not be sooner than one (1) week after distribution of application packets. The WSBA Vice-President shall have discretion to grant a reasonable extension if an applicant shows good cause.

B. Events and services provided to the student body during the current fiscal year must be reported to the Budget and Finance Committee. Funding applications shall request the following information from student organizations:

  1. A roster of members of the organization.
  2. A list of speakers or lectures sponsored by the organization that were open to all students.
  3. A list of social functions sponsored by the organization that were open to all students.
  4. A list of special events sponsored by the organization that were open to all students.
  5. A list of community service projects organized or sponsored by the organization.
  6. A list of the organization’s activities that have a national impact on promoting Washburn University School of Law.

C. Organizations requesting only baseline funding need not submit items 2, 3, 4, 5, and 5 of Paragraph B.

VI. Budget Proposal.

A. After the number of organizations requesting funding has been determined, the Budget and Finance Committee shall convene and create a proposed budget for WSBA for the subsequent fiscal year. The budget proposal will indicate the projected funds available and the projected expenditures for WSBA for the subsequent fiscal year. The projection of expenditures shall include amounts for the following categories:

  1. Baseline funding for student organizations.
  2. Additional funding for student organizations above baseline.
  3. Extra-budgetary funding for student organizations.
  4. Fund for appeals and newly recognized student organizations.
  5. Discretionary fund for the President of the WSBA Executive Council.
  6. General operating budget the WSBA Executive Council.

B. The budget proposal must be ratified a by majority vote of the WSBA Executive Council.

VII. Baseline Allocation.

All eligible organizations completing the application packet will be guaranteed a baseline allocation of the funds available for distribution. The Budget and Finance Committee will determine the baseline amount for each year during creation of the budget proposal.

VIII. Additional Funding Above Baseline Allocations.

A. An organization may request allocation of additional funding beyond the baseline allocation if that organization indicates such a request on its funding application packet.

B. Organizations that have shown an ability to provide benefits which enhance the student body’s overall experience of attending Washburn University School of Law will be allocated additional funds beyond the baseline allocation.

IX. System for Calculation of Additional Funding Above Baseline Allocation.

A. Each member of the Budget and Finance Committee will be given a copy of each applicant’s funding application packet.

B. Each voting committee member will assign a score to the organization for size of membership based on the following scale. For purposes of the calculation, only currently enrolled students at the Washburn University School of Law will be counted as members of a student organization.

  • 1-10 members 2 points
  • 10-20 members 4 points
  • 20-30 members 6 points
  • 30-40 members 8 points
  • 40-50 members 10 points
  • 50-60 members 12 points
  • 60-70 members 14 points
  • 70-80 members 16 points
  • 80-90 members 18 points
  • 100+ members 20 points

C. Each voting committee member will assign a score between zero (0) and ten (10) to each additional item listed in the funding application based on how each committee member believes the event benefited the student body. Only events and activities open to the entire student body will be assigned a score above zero (0).

D. The scores from all committee members will be totaled for each student organization. The total for each student organization will then be divided by the total points awarded to all student organizations. This percentage will be multiplied by the amount designated in the budget proposal for additional funding above the baseline allocation.

E. The amount of additional funding for each group will then be added to the baseline funding amount. This total shall be the student organization’s total funding allocation for the subsequent fiscal year.

X. Allocation Hearings.

Student organizations requesting additional funding above the baseline allocation shall send a representative to appear at a hearing before the Budget and Finance Committee. Organizations shall respond to Budget and Finance Committee inquiries regarding their organization’s request for funding, with such inquiries being made during the organizations mandatory presentation at its allocation hearing. Presentations may be limited to ten (10) minutes as moderated by the WSBA Vice-President or presiding officer of the Budget and Finance Committee.

XI. Appeals of Funding Allocation Decisions.

A. As noted in Section VI of this Bylaw, the Budget and Finance Committee shall determine a reasonable amount to place in a fund for appeals and newly recognized student organizations. Funding granted through any appeals will be deducted from this fund. Any funds remaining in this fund after the appeals period has ended may be used to fund student organizations recognized after completion of the budget process as described in Section XII of this bylaw.

B. The Budget and Finance Committee shall make available an appeals process which will allow the organizations that claim errors or omissions have occurred in the allocation process to appeal the funding decisions of the Committee.

C. Appeals should comply with the following format:

  1. Appeals of decisions by the Budget and Finance Committee shall be submitted within one week of the posting of allocation amounts.
  2. Appeals shall be in writing and include the basis for the appeal and the disputed amount. The appeal should be delivered to the WSBA Vice-President by the deadline set forth above.
  3. The Budget and Finance Committee will reconvene not later than one (1) week after the deadline for submitting appeals. At that meeting, the Committee will review all appeals submitted. Any portion of the appeal may be granted by a two-thirds majority of the members present. The Committee may grant as many appeals as the fund will support at their discretion. The decisions of the Committee will be submitted to the WSBA Executive Council for review.
  4. A final appeal may be submitted before the entire WSBA Executive Council. This appeal shall be submitted to the WSBA President within two (2) weeks of the final decision by the Budget and Finance Committee. This appeal shall be heard at the beginning of the next regularly scheduled WSBA meeting, with a maximum of twenty (20) minutes for presentation including questions and answers. The WSBA Vice-President shall provide the rankings as determined by the Budget and Finance Committee. All or a portion of the appeal may be granted by a simple majority of the WSBA Executive Council.
  5. The decisions of the WSBA Executive Council respecting organization funding appeals are final.

XII. Student organizations recognized after completion of the budget process.

A. As noted in Section XI, any funds remaining in the fund for appeals and newly recognized student organizations may be used to allocate funding to organizations that are formed and recognized after completion of the budget process. Organizations that turn in funding request packets late during the ordinary budget process will fall under this category.

B. Upon completing a funding application, a majority vote of the Budget and Finance Committee will be required to allocate funds to the organization. Organizations described under this section will be assigned no more than baseline funding unless approved by majority vote of the WSBA Executive Council.

XIII. Reporting and Use of Funds; Expenditures and Reimbursement.
(Revised April 2007)

A. Funds assigned to a student organization under this bylaw will be held by WSBA for use by the organization.

B. Funds assigned under this bylaw may be requested by submitting a reimbursement request form and a copy of proof of payment to the WSBA Treasurer within fifteen (15) school days of:

  1. The date of the expense incurred; OR
  2. If the expense is part of a larger event, within fifteen (15) school days of the event date.

C. Under no circumstances shall any WSBA funds be used to pay for or reimburse the costs of purchasing alcoholic beverages.

XIV. Reporting and Use of Funds; Failure to Comply.

A. Any failure to comply with this bylaw shall be good cause for the revocation or reduction of the funds allocated in accordance with the procedures defined herein.

B. Officers and representatives of student organizations are under a duty to report truthfully all information requested in connection with the procedures described in this bylaw.

C. The officers of each student organization are under a duty to inform the members of their respective student organizations how WSBA funds are being used.

D. The officers of each student organization are under a duty to keep records of all expenditures to be reimbursed by WSBA funds.

E. The determination of whether a violation has occurred is within the discretion of the Budget and Finance Committee. Allegations of violations maybe made by any member of the student body having information which indicates the potential presence of a violation. Such allegations shall be presented to the WSBA Budget and Finance Committee before any action is taken. An appeal may be made using the process described in Section XI of this bylaw.

XV. Unused Allocations.

An organization’s right to use funds allocated under this bylaw shall terminate at the end of the fiscal year for which the funds were allocated. At the end of each fiscal year, any unused funds held by WSBA for a student organization will be transferred back to the general operating budget of WSBA.