ABC By-Laws


ARTICLE I - ALLOCATIONS

Section 1 - Requirements

Every group that applies for an allocation must submit:

a) A budget request for the following year, broken down by event, detailing total costs and total revenue for each event.

b) Answers to a questionnaire to be supplied by ABC.

c) If the group's request is greater than the allocation granted to the group the previous year, an explanation for why it deserves an increase. If the group requests more than a 10% increase, an explanation outlining the extraordinary circumstances necessitating such an increase.

d) Contact information for the outgoing and incoming board.

Section 2 - Process

a.) ABC representatives must briefly meet with all their groups in order to understand better their needs. After meeting with their groups and examining their requests, representatives must make an allocation recommendation and write a small paragraph explaining the reasoning behind that recommendation for each of their groups. All recommendations and explanations will be compiled online in a form that is conducive to commenting by other ABC board members.

b.) Each recommendation must be approved by a majority of the ABC board.

c.) If, after the end of the fiscal year, ABC's budget is such that it is not able to fund its groups according to the recommendations made by the ABC board, then ABC may reduce group allocations. The standard method of reducing group allocations will be an across-the-board percentage cut.

Section 3 - Recommendations

a.) ABC's recommendation for a group may not exceed that group's request.

b.) A zero percent change for a group shall be understood as a sum of that group's allocation from the previous year in addition to the appeals received by that group, to the extent that the appeals are factored into the budget request for the following year. Appeals granted for one-time emergency expenses shall not be considered as part of that sum. The ABC executive board shall determine these sums for all groups.

c.) Recommendations will be limited to increases or decreases in 5% increments, unless a group requests an increase of less than 5% or requests a decrease.

d.) A group should be given:

1) A zero percent change if its allocation is sufficient to continue its current level of programming and it does not have promising new or enhanced programming.

2) A 5% increase if the group has demonstrated a need for greater funding to continue its current level of programming or to create new programming.

3) A 10% increase if the group has demonstrated inability to continue its current level of programming without a significant increase or is planning very promising new programming.

4) An increase greater than 10% only if the group has demonstrated extraordinary inability to continue its current level of programming without a significant increase or is a recently recognized or promoted group.

5) A decrease if the group has not spent a significant portion of its allocation, has a record of poor or inefficient programming, or is requesting a decrease.

Section 4 - Appealing the Initial Allocation

a.) A group wishing to appeal its initial allocation must do so in the form of a written request providing reasons for reconsideration.

b.) The appeal will only be considered if at least one member of the ABC Executive Board determines that the group has provided new information relevant to the review of the allocation.

c.) A two-thirds vote by the full board is required to approve the appeal.

Section 5 - Late Allocations

a.) If a group submits its allocation request after the deadline set by ABC, its final allocation shall be subject to a 10% cut.

Section 6 - Transparency

a.) All ABC allocations shall be made public on the ABC website.

ARTICLE II - FUNDING GUIDELINES

ARTICLE III - RESPONSIBILITIES OF REPRESENTATIVES

The duties of the Representatives-at-Large shall include:

1. Scheduling at least one meeting of at least 15 minutes within the first two weeks of classes every semester with the President and Treasurer of each club represented. Failure of a group to cooperate in scheduling a meeting of at least 15 minutes with their Representative per semester may result in sanctions.

2. Being actively involved in the club's functions and programming. For events-based groups, this entails attending at least one event per year. For publications-based groups, this entails reading the publication. For all other groups, this entails attendance of at least one board meeting per year.

Last updated: February 7, 2011

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