The Undergraduate Student Senate had an informal ad hoc meeting to discuss possible changes to the Allocations Committee membership and guidelines.

The main issue USS discussed was permanent seats on the Allocations Committee. Currently, the USS, Intercollegiate Greek Programming Board, All Campus Programming Board, and Black United Students have permanent seats.

Kevin Folk, senator for business and finance, said he definitely sees a need for permanent seats for ACPB and the USS, which are both inside organizations.

“It takes the burden off me and prevents duplicate programming,” he said.

The problem is coming up with a rationale for the fact that those groups deserve permanent seats, but not other student organizations, Folk said.

“I don’t know how we can draw that line,” he said. “The argument will be if student organization A has a spot, why not student organization B?”

The proposed change is to have seven at-large seats and two permanent seats for USS and ACPB in addition to two alternates.

“No member of USS or ACPB can be an at-large member,” Executive Director Bill Ross said.

This proposed change would mean all student organizations have an equal opportunity to be represented on the committee.

The first issue discussed was a section of the guidelines that says the program requesting funding must benefit all undergraduate students.

Ross said he felt the phrase was too broad and recommended the phrase be removed from the guidelines.

“Any program has the potential to benefit students outside of the organization proposing the program,” he said.

Ross Miltner, senator for community affairs and candidate for executive director, disagreed with Ross. He said he wanted the guidelines changed to say a program must have the potential to benefit all undergraduate students.

“If the AMA (American Marketing Association) brings a speaker to help students find a good marketing job, I don’t see that as having broad appeal,” he said. “It needs to benefit students beyond the organization bringing the idea to the table.”

Preston Mitchum, senator for student advancement and candidate for senator for academic affairs, said student organizations such as Black United Students and PRIDE!Kent represent a broad percentage of the student body. He said if these groups wanted to put on a program, it is unfair to require their proposed program to benefit the entire undergraduate student body.

Ross said the main goal is to prevent vague language in the guidelines “so the committee doesn’t get hung up on it.”

The Allocations Committee guidelines will review all the proposed changes. The reading of the revised guidelines for next year will take place at the senate’s April 10 meeting.

Contact student politics reporter Breanne George at [email protected].