The Allocations Committee will begin the semester with more money than usual for the spring.

Andrew Ljubi, Undergraduate Student Senate senator for business and finance and Allocations Committee chair, said going into its first meeting – today at 3 p.m. in the Student Center Governance Chambers – the allocations committee had $59,879.13 in available funds to be allocated to various student organizations.

The Daily Kent Stater reported going into Spring 2007, the Allocations Committee had about $21,000.

Three organizations have submitted proposals to receive funding that will be discussed at the meeting today, Ljubi said.

Black United Students requested $21,350 for its semester programming. Harambee, a student group associated with the Pan-African studies department, requested $1,300. Also requested was an estimated $1,000 by the Psychology Club for a conference – the most that can be requested for a conference.

The Psychology Club request was an estimate because Ljubi didn’t have the document with him.

He said the higher amount is result of more communication between the committee and the organizations.

“It seemed in the past that there would be more approves and denies as is,” Ljubi said. “But last semester the committee did a good job of working with the organizations and maybe trimming out parts of the proposals that we didn’t approve.”

The committee raises its funds through the activity fee charged to students each semester as a part of their tuition. It began the 2007-2008 year with $140,000. Once it allocates those funds it cannot generate more.

Contact student politics reporter Jenna Staul

at [email protected].