The Allocation Committee decided not to change the All Campus Programming Board’s funding – 54 percent of the Undergraduate Student Activity Fund – at its final ad hoc meeting Friday.

“Here and now, it’s best to keep things the way they are,” said Carla Smith, Allocation Committee member who represents Black United Students.

Sean Groves, senator for business and finance, who chairs the committee, said he thinks cutting ACPB’s funding for next year would send the wrong message.

“Cutting funding would potentially push them in more of a hole than to encourage them to go after big programs,” he said.

However, Christopher Taylor, committee member representing ACPB, said ACPB is more than just a concert organizer.

“ACPB does not exist to fund big programs,” he said. “That is a misconception.

“The point of ACPB is to provide diverse and fun programs for the campus.”

Taylor said some of ACPB’s most important programs are smaller, such as Culture Shock.

The committee also informally voted 4-3 in favor of the proposed removal of the permanent seats held by BUS, Inter-Greek Programming Board and ACPB.

However, Groves said because of personal conflicts, not all committee members were present at the meeting to vote.

Groves said the informal vote is just a representation of the committee’s opinion to send to the Undergraduate Student Senate for its review when preparing to vote for the Allocation Committee’s proposed changes made in ad hoc.

Still, Smith said she expects Kent State administration to look closely at the proposed seat removals if USS approves the change.

“Though you may think it is in the best interests of the university to remove seats, they have been here for a reason,” she said.

Smith said the large membership of the three student organizations with permanent seats is the main factor supporting the need for their existence.

Executive Director Ross Miltner also asked the committee to consider adding guidelines in ad hoc regarding ACPB to help ease the transition for the 2008-2009 academic year if the Board of Trustees approves the USS charter changes.

Miltner said he thinks gradual steps next year would make the change in funding and organization of ACPB seem less drastic.

“I don’t want to see a ‘slamming into a brick wall’ scenario,” he said.

However, the committee decided not to address the issue.

Groves said there is “no good way to go about it” since the changes are not definite yet.

In addition, Taylor pointed out a misconception about the future existence of ACPB.

Taylor said regardless of the potential USS charter changes, ACPB currently plans to continue as an independent student organization, except without block funding in the 2008-2009 academic year.

“Basically, ACPB has no intention of assimilating in the new USG,” he said. “ACPB values its independence as a student organization.”

Miltner said the original intent behind the charter changes was to include ACPB within the boundaries of the new Undergraduate Student Government as the Programming Board.

But Miltner said student government does not have the power to take away a student organization, so ACPB can continue to operate despite the new Programming Board.

However, if the Board of Trustees approves the USS charter changes, the Undergraduate Student Activities Fund will be divided between the Allocation Committee and the new Programming Board.

USS will discuss the proposed changes at its next meeting in the Governance Chambers of the Student Center at 3:45 p.m. Wednesday. On April 4, USS will vote on the proposed changes to the Allocation Committee’s guidelines.

Before the ad hoc session, the committee allocated $5,871 worth of funds to the following three student organizations:

• $4,735 to the American Institute of Graphic Artists for two speaker events featuring graphic designers.

• $1,038 to the Kent Entrepreneurial Association for its Fireside Chat program.

• $98 to PRIDE!Kent for “Gay Prom.”

Groves said the Allocation Committee’s current budget is $8,025.

Contact student politics reporter Jackie Valley at [email protected].