Constitution:
Student Activities Budget Review Committee (SABRC)
Article I: Name
The name of this organization shall be the Student Activities Budget Review
Committee (SABRC) herein also referred to as the Board.
Article II: Purpose
A. To fund those student organizations recognized and approved by Bradley
University which provide activities for Bradley University students through
education, entertainment, or service.
B. To review and evaluate budgets and student activities planned by the
organizations so that money is spent in the best interest of Bradley students.
C. To monitor and audit expenditures by student organizations of funds
provided by SABRC.
Article III: Goals
A. To make optimum use of student activity funds by funding those activities
which provide the greatest return to the students in a fair and unbiased
manner.
B. To provide the means of collectively providing activities for students
which they cannot provide individually.
C. To strive for student activities which provide education (the knowledge
and development resulting from cultural and co-curricular education),
entertainment (activities diverting or engaging) and/or service to the
campus.
D. To serve as the budgetary authority for University authorized student
activity funds and be responsible for all funds appropriated to participating
student organizations.
Article IV: SABRC General Policies
A. All budgets are “zero-based”, i.e., each budgeted dollar
shall be justified anew each year.
B. All contracts to be legally binding under SABRC policies shall be signed
by the Director of Student Activities.
C. The Board audits expenditures of the funds each organization receives
for activities during the year.
1. The Board shall be notified promptly when an SABRC funded activity
or event is to be canceled or substituted.
2. Any SABRC funded activity or event to be substituted with an alternative
activity or event shall be submitted to the Board for approval prior to
substitution. Funding is not transferable.
D. The Board will review its funding policies annually. A copy of the
policy statement will be provided to each organization.
E. All allocations will be awarded on the merits of the program offered
and the projected student participation.
F. No allocations are automatic, regardless of previous funding.
G. SABRC does not direct policies or activities of student organizations,
but does take into account the objectives in the merit of service to the
students.
H. SABRC will grant each funded organization flexibility in its use of
funds, but deviation above 5% of the approved budgeted items requires
SABRC approval. Deviations above the 5% allowance without SABRC Chairperson
approval must be made up for by the organization. Funds for all future
programs will be frozen until payment is made.
I. Policies for the Special Events Reserve Fund (SERF) are listed following
SABRC policies. All general policies for SABRC apply to SERF allocations.
J. If an organization wishes to appeal its final SABRC allocation decision,
it must do so with the Student Arbitration Board. If either SABRC or the
appealing organization wish to appeal the Arbitration Board’s decision,
the appeal must be directed to the Associate Provost for Student Affairs.
K. SABRC shall maintain a reserve fund, which shall be available for unforeseen
events or expenses.
L. An organization will be eligible for office supplies only if it meets
one of the following requirements:
1. The organization has at least one (1) funded event by SABRC.
2. The Organization is new to campus and has an office.
M. The minimum dollar amount that can be requested to the Board is fifty
dollars ($50), with the exception of office supplies.
N. Sports Clubs may request funding for league membership fees, tournament
fees, facility rentals, umpires/referees and advertising of campus games/tournaments.
Article V: Membership
A. SABRC shall consist of at least twelve (12) student members including
a Chairperson, the All-School Treasurer and student representatives. There
shall be at least two (2) advisors.
1. The Chairperson shall be a non-voting member except in the case of
a tie vote. The newly elected Chairperson shall assume his/her duties
one (1) week after the completion of elections.
2. The Chairperson shall be elected in the following manner:
a) Nominations shall be taken at the spring allocation meeting.
b) Candidates will be interviewed by the Board. Candidates must have attained
SABRC membership before budget hearings in the previous spring.
c) The Chairperson shall be elected by a simple majority vote.
d) The current Chairperson throughout the remainder of the spring semester
shall train the Chairperson-elect.
e) In the case of a mid-term election, the qualifications of the candidates
will be determined at the Board’s discretion.
3. The student members shall be selected by the SABRC Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson,
the All-School Treasurer, a student member and the advisors according
to Article IV, Sections C, D, E of the SABRC By-laws. The student members
shall have the following rights and responsibilities:
a) Attend all budget hearings and SABRC meetings unless otherwise notifying
the Chairperson.
b) Any member with more than two (2) excused absences in a budgeting semester
will review his/her situation with the advisors, the Chairperson and the
Vice-Chairperson.
c) Resignation from the Board must be made in writing to the Chairperson.
d) Only members who have participated on the Board for one (1) budgeting
semester have the right to vote.
e) Members of SABRC shall represent the student body.
f) Be familiar with the SABRC Constitution, By-laws and Policies.
g) Keep an orderly SABRC notebook which shall contain the SABRC Constitution,
By-laws, Policies, budget requests, notes, minutes and preliminary and
final allocations.
h) Members who must resign to be off campus for co-op, intern or study
abroad will have first priority for a new vacancy for membership.
i) Membership shall end upon graduation, dismissal from the Board or resignation.
j) Attend and evaluate at least three (3) events per semester.
4. Advisors
a) There shall be at least two (2) advisors.
b) The advisors shall be members of the faculty and/or administration.
One advisor shall be the Director of Student Activities.
c) The advisors shall be non-voting members.
d) The advisors shall have the responsibility to attend SABRC meetings
and budget hearings and to offer advice to the student members and/or
Chairperson.
e) If an advisor fails to be present at two (2) or more meetings without
cause, the Board may review his/her continued membership.
B. Role of the student alternates.
1. The student alternates shall assume a student membership to fill a
vacancy. Such replacement shall constitute appointment to regular student
membership status.
2. The alternates shall have the responsibility to observe and participate
in Board meetings.
3. If the Board lacks quorum at a meeting, the Chairperson may declare
the alternates temporary voting members, provided that the alternates
are abreast of current Board deliberation and policies.
4. Upon witnessing one semester of budget hearings, alternate members
will become full voting members.
C. Role of the All-School Treasurer.
1. Serve as a voting member for the length of his/her term. The term begins
at the beginning of the fall semester and ends at the completion of the
spring semester.
2. Serve as a source of communication between SABRC and Student Senate.
Article VI: Officers
A. There shall be two (2) officers: Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson
1. The duties of the Chairperson shall be:
a) Call and chair Board meetings and hearings.
b) Provide written notification and justification of all budgetary decisions
to the involved organizations.
c) Communicate budgetary decisions to the student body, affected organizations,
the Student Senate and Associate Provost for Student Affairs of Bradley
University.
d) Keep an orderly SABRC system which shall include the SABRC Constitution,
By-laws, Policies, contact information for members, all budget requests,
notes, minutes, letters of justification, all SABRC correspondence, preliminary
and final allocations and final reports.
e) Appoint the Vice-Chairperson from the student membership with approval
from the Board.
f) Present the completed student activities budget for the upcoming fiscal
year to Student Senate for approval.
g) Train the Chairperson-elect.
3. The duties of the Vice-Chairperson shall be:
a) Chair a SABRC meeting or hearing in the Chairperson’s absence.
b) If the Chairperson cannot fulfill his/her duties, serve as Acting Chairperson
until an election can be held.
4. The duties of the Accounts Clerk shall be:
a) Serve as the financial accountant for SABRC and SABRC funded organizations.
b) Attend all SABRC meetings and record allocation decisions.
c) Properly control and account for funds allocated to organizations and
their expenditure of those funds.
Article VII: Meetings
A. The regular meetings of SABRC shall be held when necessary and at an
agreeable time for a quorum of the student members and advisors.
B. The Chairperson or Vice-Chairperson, two advisors and 51% of voting
members shall constitute quorum.
C. Budget hearings shall begin no later than the first week of April.
D. Each organization will be scheduled to give an oral presentation of
their budget request.
E. Discussion shall follow Robert’s Rules of Order.
Article VIII: Voting
A. A quorum must be present in order to conduct business.
B. All budgetary decisions require a simple majority vote of the student
members present.
C. There shall not be voting by proxy.
Article IX: Ratification and Amendment of the Constitution.
A. This constitution may be amended at any meeting of the Board by a three-fourths
(3/4) vote of the entire student SABRC membership, provided the amendments
have been submitted to the Board in writing at least one (1) week prior
to its presentation.
B. All amendments to the constitution must be submitted to the Associate
Provost for Student Affairs of Bradley University for approval.
C. This Constitution must be ratified by a three-fourths (3/4) vote of
the entire Board and by the approval of the Associate Provost for Student
Affairs of Bradley University.
SABRC By-laws and Operating Procedures
By-laws
I. Jurisdiction
The Board shall have jurisdiction over the following funds:
A. All student activity moneys received based on $70.00 per student per
year for each student enrolled in nine (9) hours or more per semester.
$18.00 per student will be deposited into the SERF account.
B. University funding for student activities channeled directly into the
Board for funding to recognize student organizations.
II. Eligibility:
Only those organizations and/or programs that are officially recognized
by the University as duly constituted bodies whose membership is open
to all students through participation are eligible for appropriations
by the Board.
III. Budgeting Procedures:
A. The Board shall establish its policies each year before the spring
hearings and update them by a three-fourths (3/4) vote of the entire student
membership. These policies will be in effect for the entire following
fiscal year.
B . The Chairperson will call meetings on dates and at times agreeable
to the Board.
C . Meetings will be held upon the discretion of the Chairperson and the
Board.
D . An organization’s budget for the upcoming fiscal year shall
be presented to the Board on the prescribed form during spring semester.
E . If an organization turns its budget in to the Board after the aforementioned
date, the Board will not review it until the appeals are heard in the
following fall semester.
F . The organization will be allowed two (2) representatives to present
its appeal.
G . Each organization shall be responsible for the accountability and
administration of all moneys including SABRC allotted funds.
H . Upon completion of both Fall and Spring hearings, the Board will submit
budgetary decisions for approval by Student Senate.
IV. Student Membership
The Board shall consist of at least twelve (12) student members, including
alternates, and the All-School Treasurer.
A . All student members are encouraged to attend all activities that are
funded by the Board, but must attend at least three (3).
B. In the case when a Board member is a member of another organization:
1. If the Board member is an officer, the Board member may present the
proposed budget but may not participate in discussion or vote.
2. If the Board member is a general member of the organization, the Board
member may present the proposed budget and participate in discussion,
but may not vote.
C. When vacancies occur on the Board, notice for applications for membership
shall be publicized by way of the Scout, Student Senate, residence halls,
fraternities, sororities, and any other method of notifying the campus.
D. The Board shall agree upon qualifications for membership and the member
selection committee shall interview each applicant and select by consensus.
E. The two advisors, the Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson, All-School Treasurer
and at least one (1) student member of the Board shall interview each
applicant and select by consensus.
F. Notice of membership acceptance and rejection must be sent to all applicants
no later than one (1) week after the member selection committee has reached
their decision.
V. Student Alternate:
Newly appointed students to the Board shall remain alternates until they
have participated in one (1) budgeting semester. Alternates shall be chosen
by the same process as described in Article IV, sections C, D, E of the
SABRC By-laws.
A. If the total student membership falls below twelve (12), then interviews
shall be held to replace the vacancy.
B. After participating in one (1) budgeting semester, the alternate members
will become full voting members.
VI. SABRC Advisors
There are at least two (2) advisors to the Board.
A. Excluding the Director of Student Activities, advisors shall be appointed
to two (2) year terms by the Associate Provost for Student Affairs upon
the approval and recommendation of the student members. Advisors may be
appointed for another term should the membership agree to do so.
B. The advisor will be counted as one of the organization’s two
representatives if the advisor helps present an appealing organization’s
budget.
C. There shall be no more than one (1) faculty advisor from each department
and/or office.
D. Faculty advisors will be non-voting members of the committee.
VII. All-School Treasurer
A. The All-School Treasurer shall be considered and counted when determining
quorum.
B. The All-School Treasurer shall abide by the responsibilities of the
student members.
VIII. Investigation
A. The Chairperson may appoint an ad hoc committee composed of Board members
to investigate any financial matter dealing with a funded student organization
and report its findings to the Board.
B. In the event of a violation of standard rule, and/or regulation, the
Board shall determine a course of action to rectify the situation and
to prevent such a situation from occurring in the future. Courses of action
can include:
1. Putting a hold on funds;
2. Revoking funds; and/or
3. Refusal of funding for the following year.
C. The Chairperson shall notify in writing the organization found in violation.
If an organization wishes to appeal the ruling, it must appeal in writing
to the Bradley University Student Arbitration Board within seven (7) days
of receipt of notification.
IX. Closed Meetings
The portions of meetings described below are closed to the public:
A. Meetings held to consider information regarding appointment or dismissal
of a Board member.
B. A budget meeting for the Board when deciding allocations for student
organizations is under the scope of collective bargaining. Discussion
is closed to the public but both voting and minutes are open to the public.
X . Amendments to By-laws.
A. These By-laws can be amended at any meeting of the SABRC by a three-fourths
(3/4) vote of the entire student membership, provided the amendments have
been submitted to the Board in writing at least one (1) week prior to
its presentation.
B. All amendments to the to these By-laws must be submitted to the Associate
Provost for Student Affairs of Bradley University for approval.
C. These By-laws can be suspended by a three-fourths (3/4) vote of the
student members present.
D. All By-laws of the Board and all resolutions, motions, or orders heretofore
passed inconsistent with the provisions of these By-laws are hereby appealed.
SABRC Policies
Discrimination Policy
Admission to all SABRC funded activities shall be open to all Bradley
University students regardless of sex, race, religion, or ethnic background.
SABRC does not discriminate against any movie based on a rating system.
Movies are funded based on merit.
Salaries
SABRC shall not fund organizational salaries or salaries that are defined
by SABRC as not being directly related to the funded activity.
Conventions
The use of funds for attending conventions, conferences and seminars will
be judged by the value returned to the student body as a whole, with justification
of benefits received by the organization and benefits expected to be returned
to the student body.
Food and Beverages
Food and beverages are not funded for student activities of Bradley University
except in the following cases:
1. Off campus conferences, conventions or seminars endorsed through SABRC
for Bradley student delegates.
2. Receptions, hospitality and meals when contracted for guests of Bradley
University. In the case of meals attended with guests, a maximum of two
(2) students from the sponsoring organization may accompany the guest(s)
and have their food costs covered. These costs will be limited to $20.00
per person.
3. All-campus food oriented events will be judges on their own merit.
The Board reserves the right to limit the number of these events.
NOTE: The purchasing of alcoholic beverages with student activity funds
is strictly prohibited.
Legitimate Guest Costs
The following items are considered legitimate expenses for the invited
guests of Bradley University:
1. Transportation - includes primary mode of transportation and any costs
of on-ground travel in Peoria.
2. Meals - $20.00 per person
3. Lodging - only for night required for Bradley appearance. The cost
for a single room is $75.00 and the cost for a double room is $85.00.
4. Honorarium and fee for any guests who require payment of fees, honorarium,
or expenses. There shall be a written contract prior to appearance to
cover these expenses.
Binding Agreements/Organizational Compliance
All organizations that receive funding for SABRC funded activities must
abide by the Policies, Constitution and By-laws of SABRC. Any deviations
from these guidelines must be cleared with SABRC. SABRC mandates that
all contracts for SABRC-funded activities, programs or events must be
contracted through the Director of Student Activities, who shall have
the sole University authority to sign all legal agreements for activities
funded by this Board. Only the Director of Student Activities shall have
the authority to negotiate or enter into a contract for any SABRC funded
event. If any contracts or legal agreements are negotiated and entered
by any unauthorized person, SABRC will not accept legal responsibility
for these contracts or agreements. Also, the organizations hosting the
events are responsible for turning in any receipts pertaining to the event
to the Accounts Clerk in the Student Activities Office. Failure to comply
with any of these policies will result in the organization assuming the
costs incurred, per University regulations.
Capital Equipment
Capital equipment shall be defined as non-expendable, movable or fixed
units which are used in the operation of the organization and have a replacement
value exceeding $25.00. Typewriters, file cabinets and office desks are
examples of capital equipment. The Board will decide at its discretion
whether or not an item qualifies as capital equipment. Each organization
is required to submit to SABRC a detailed capital equipment inventory
along with the budget request form. The inventory report shall contain
the projected remaining life of the asset along with estimated replacement
cost. Failure to submit this form may result in denial of funding for
additional capital equipment. After one (1) school year of funded capital
equipment use, SABRC shall review the use of the equipment and redistribute
equipment funded by the Board, if deemed necessary and proper.
Administrative Costs
SABRC will fund appropriate costs for supplies used for the administrative
aspects of campus activities. SABRC will determine at its discretion whether
a submitted cost is administrative in nature. Higher priority will be
given to those administrative costs directly related to SABRC funded activities.
Internal Activities
All programs and costs funded through student activity fees should pay
for programs that benefit the student body as a whole. Consequently, the
Board does not fund organizational related activities outside of administrative
costs. Internal activities include, but are not limited to, cost of advertising
for meetings, organizational parties, minutes, newsletters, and food at
organizational events.
Special Interest Group Activities
Special interest group activities may be funded, however, the funding
of special interest group activities will be given low priority. Specifically,
the Board will not fund any when the end financial results benefit a charitable
organization or political campaign.
Auto Travel
Reimbursement for automobile travel shall be limited to current University
policy.
Special Arrangements
The following clause shall be placed on every SABRC funded publicity:
People with disabilities are to contact the Student Activities Office
at 677-3050 to request special arrangements.
Emergency Appeals
The Chairperson shall use his/her discretion in determining the emergency
of a budget request. If the appeal is deemed an emergency, the budget
will be presented to the Board. An emergency appeal shall be defined as
to include only those activities already funded, which due to uncontrollable
circumstances could not take place without additional funding, or a merited
activity that becomes available subsequent to budgeting. After review
of the budget, a decision will be made as to the funding of the appeal.
The Board will not grant emergency appeals for an event that has already
taken place. A report of all requests must be submitted to the Board.
Allocations
Activities, programs, and expenses shall be reviewed and evaluated by
the SABRC so that money is allocated in the best interest of Bradley students.
A guideline ceiling of $15.00 per person/participant, assuming realistic
income figures based on anticipated income, is recommended for consideration
for an SABRC subsidy. Organizations should realize that activities considered
for funding may be reviewed on a cost per person basis. SABRC will not
extend “front money” for any event. The Board will not fund
activities that will pay for themselves.
Posting Policy
All SABRC funded publicity or publicity for any SABRC funded event may
be posted only in University approved posting areas.
Accounts Clerk
All SABRC funded organizations must channel requisitions, purchase orders
and purchase requests and deposit any revenue generated from SABRC sponsored
activities through the Accounts Clerk (this includes admission fees and
any other discretionary revenues obtained to help defer the costs of any
SABRC sponsored activity). In addition, organizations shall submit Program
Evaluation forms within seven (7) business days and deposits within the
next business day after each SABRC sponsored activity. Failure to comply
with these requirements will be in direct violation of SABRC rules and
regulations and organizations may be subject to budget review.
Standardization
SABRC reserves the right to standardize promotion, hotel, meal, telephone
and other administrative costs to conform to current University prices.
A lit of standardize prices will be distributed at the mandatory pre-budget
workshops.
University Services
SABRC will not fund organizations for activities or services that are
similar to those provided by the University. Examples of such services
include, but are not limited to, job fairs, study skills seminars and
financial aid clinics.
Blank Checks
Although SABRC tries to be as flexible as possible in its budgeting process,
all amounts for items must be approved prior to spending. For example,
SABRC will not issue amounts for repair funds or miscellaneous expenses
unless these items are specifically budgeted for.
Co-sponsored Events
Co-sponsored events which show significant increase in attendance of the
event will be given a higher priority for consideration for funding, but
are still subject to the same criteria as all programs evaluated by SABRC.
SABRC will define co-sponsorships in the following manner: the organization
that directly appeals to SABRC for funds will be called the primary sponsor.
All funds for the co-sponsored event will be allocated to the primary
sponsor. The sponsor(s) of activities not directly appealing for funds
for the activity will be termed to co-sponsor(s); no funds will be allocated
to the co-sponsor(s) of the event. Mutual interest must appear in all
budgets containing the scheduled co-sponsored activity. This should be
validated by completing the forms required, including name of program,
names of all organizations and all required signatures. If these conditions
are not met, the event will not be considered co-sponsored and funding
will not be allocated as such.
Attendance Fees
The intent of SABRC funding is to sponsor activities for the Bradley student
population. At all SABRC sponsored events, the Board recommends that an
admission fee be charged to the general public to offset the costs of
the students. In the event that students are charged admission, the student
shall be charged a lower fee than faculty/staff and the general public.
The fee shall be set by the organization, subject to SABRC approval. A
Bradley student ID must be shown to take advantage of rate reductions.
Any additional special rates must first be approved by SABRC.
Finalizing the Program
All contracts, dates and locations must be finalized through the Student
Activities Office three (3) weeks prior to the event. SABRC reserves the
right to hold funds for any event that does not abide by this policy.
SERF - Special Event Reserve Fund
Purpose
To bring higher cost, higher quality programming to Bradley students.
Events should be designed to provide education and entertainment and be
broad enough in scope so that a large number of Bradley students may benefit
from the event.
Nature of the Account
The SERF account is a rollover account - if a balance exists at the end
of the school year, that amount will be applied to the following year’s
account. In order to qualify for SERF, it is recommended that an event
reach a minimum total cost of $15,000 (including promotion and other costs
to support the event) and a minimum expected attendance of 500 people.
Procedures
Organizations appealing for funds will do so in the following manner:
1a. An initial contact must be made with the SABRC Chairperson. A screening
committee consisting of the SABRC Chairperson, Vice Chairperson and the
Director of Student Activities will meet with organizations interested
in appealing for a specific event through SERF. It is important that organizations
present adequate information regarding the event so the screening committee
can examine feasibility and make a general evaluation of the program.
If the event passes the initial screening process, the organization will
receive a SERF budget packet, including a compliance agreement form that
is due no later than five (5) business days after receipt.
1b. Budget requests will be considered on a first come, first served basis.
If a budget has been approved but a performance has not been contracted,
the money for that program will not be allocated to other SERF events
on reserve.
SABRC hearings will then occur with those organizations appealing for
funds. Organizations will be notified of the SABRC decision no later than
three (3) business days after the hearing. The organizational advisor’s
signature is required on the SERF budget request.
If the event is funded, the organization must contact the Director of
Student Activities immediately in order to begin planning for the event.
Only the Director of Student Activities can initiate and negotiate contracts.
If the Board votes that a funded program has changed significantly after
allocation, the appealing organization will be asked to formally present
budget changes and be present for a hearing.
Organizations can appeal for SERF money at any time (pending availability
of funds).
Upon completion of the event the organization must attend a mandatory
post-event meeting with the Board to evaluate the organization’s
performance in sponsoring the event.
Updated 7/05
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