University Board presents budget decreases

The University Board members presented their new budget request to the Apportionment Board on Thursday.

The new proposed budget is $216,489 compared to last year’s budget, which was $241,250.

The budget is to continue to “provide quality and diverse entertainment, programs and services at an affordable price to EIU students,” according to a PowerPoint presentation by Darius White, the University Board Chair. 

The budget was split into several categories of student entertainment. These categories include comedy programs, cultural arts programs, homecoming and the yearly Quakin’ in the Quad event. 

The board said that almost every committee has had to make cuts in their budget. The two committees that have not made cuts were Quakin’ in the Quad and the homecoming committee. 

These two committees have actually had raises in their budgets for next year.

Mary Lane, vice president of business affairs, said the members of the apportionment board were each given a spreadsheet with the list of proposed budgets. Before their next meeting, each member will review the spreadsheet and make suggestions for each budget, she said.

When the Apportionment Board meets again, each member will voice their suggestions and the committee will review the budgets once again. Then as an overall committee, they will vote to pass or not pass the requested budget.

Although these requests are brought to the Apportionment Board every year, they are facing a lot of cuts this year, Lane said.

These cuts are being made because the budget is primarily paid by student fees, and enrollment has been down, Lane said.

Lane said that although cuts are being made, the apportionment board will make sure that each board gets enough to function properly and provide quality service events.

The comedy programs that the University Board provides include Lunchbox Voodoo, Hello Dali, Last Comic Standing Student Competition, and various guest comedians. The University Board also focuses on cultural arts programs, such as Chinese acrobats, to enhance students’ knowledge of diversity both on and off campus.

The University Board is also in charge of the yearly Quakin’ in the Quad event that welcomes students back to campus at the beginning of the fall semester.

 

Piper Black can be reached at 581-2812 or [email protected].