Financial Oversight Committee Guidelines
The guidelines below are taken from the SGA By-Laws and serve as regulations for receiving funding from the FOC. Should you have questions, please contact the Director of Finance.
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Financial Oversight Committee
1. Description: The Financial Oversight Committee (hereinafter referred to as the FOC) shall be a standing committee of the Senate. The FOCs mission is to make funds available to a diverse representation of individual(s) and/or officially recognized student organization(s) in order to aid them in the betterment of their organization, the benefit of the campus community, and promotion of leadership.
2. Responsibilities: The FOC’s responsibilities consist of:
A) Review any and all proposals on matters concerning funding.
B) Review the proposed budget of the Association for the following calendar year no later than one week after the newly elected SGA President takes office.
C) Post a list of events that were subsidized with SGA funds during the prior calendar year.
3. Composition: The FOC shall consist of:
A) A chairperson, which shall be the Director of Finance, and,
B) Eight (8) members, who shall be appointed by the Director of Finance and approved by the SGA President and the Dean of Student Development, who shall consist of:
i. Two (2) Student Senators, and,
ii. Six (6) members of the student body at large, not of Senate, and,
iii. A representative of the Dean of Student Development, who shall be appointed by the Dean of Student Development, but who shall be a non-voting member.
C) All of the above members, excluding the representative of the Dean of Student Development, are required to maintain at least a 2.5 cumulative GPA.
D) The SGA President shall perform the duties of the chairperson in absence of the chairperson.
1. Should the FOC be needed during the summer, and not be available, the SGA Vice President and Dean of Student Development, along with the President may decide to fund an organization.
2. The SGA President will report any funds spent at the first senate meeting of the academic year.
E) The Director of Finance shall vote only in the case of a tie.
F) When the FOC is in place, the Director of Finance will appoint committee chairs.
G) Any member of the FOC may be removed from the committee by a majority vote of a quorum of the Senate.
4. Objectives: The FOC’s primary objectives are:
A) To aid individual(s) and/or officially recognized and properly registered student organization(s), through funding, to:
1. Sponsor social and/or cultural events
2. Sponsor political events
3. Sponsor educational events
4. Sponsor or attend conferences
5. Sponsor or attend competition
B) Any proposal for funding must meet at least one of two criteria for funding to be considered.
1. The event must benefit the campus community.
2. The event must promote leadership and/or betterment of their organization.
C) If 4B1, and/or 4B2 are met the following may still be grounds for denial of any and/or all proposed funding.
1. An event that goes against Missouri Western Policy.
2. An event that is exclusionary and/or discriminatory.
3. An event that is required by an academic department or that is in direct support of classroom instruction, class required presentation of individual papers, scholarships or physical and monetary awards, or in which college credit may be given.
4. An event that promotes partisan political programs, parties, candidates, or direct lobbying.
D) Any individual(s) and/or officially recognized and properly registered student organization may receive funding up to 100% of all expenses, excluding travel expenses, and not to exceed 50% of the total cost of the event.
1. Officially recognized and properly registered student organizations may request funding up to but not exceeding $2,500 per calendar year.
2. Individual(s) may request funding up to but not exceeding $500 per calendar year.
3. The FOC should not be the sole source of funding for any event. Proposals that demonstrate an attempt to do fundraising on their own will be looked upon more favorably by the committee.
E) If a proposed event meets all other criteria but is classified as one of the following the proposal will be denied. The FOC will not fund any of the following: fund raising events; clothing items or uniforms; decorations; donations or gifts; printing or publishing costs; physical and monetary awards or scholarships; pledge activities; publicity and promotion items; association membership dues for individuals; special events, as defined in the objectives, to be held off campus unless extenuating circumstances exist and the FOC deems funding necessary; an organization’s student or alumni members, or Missouri Western faculty/staff for performances/lectures related to that organization’s events; food for organizations, events, or individuals unless required by contract or included in registration fees; payments of debts and expenditures incurred form any previous fiscal year. FOC will not fund religious organizations. FOC will consider funding a religious conference/competition if it can be shown that it provides leadership skills that benefit the organization.
5. Funding Procedure: Outlined below are the procedures and requirements that must be met to receive consideration for funding.
Any individual(s) and/or officially recognized student organization(s) that wish to request funds must first fill out a funding application, which can be obtained in the SGA office (Blum Union 217).
1. Additional documentation will be required and is outlined in Section 6 of FOC
Bylaws.
Only individual(s) and/or officially recognized student organization(s) in good standing with the SGA shall be eligible to receive funding.
Applications must be received by the Director of Finance, at least one month, 21 classroom days, prior to the event for which funding is being requested.
1. Any proposals received that are not complete and in order will be denied. This will affect the dispersal of said funds. If the initial requests for funds are denied to do incomplete paperwork the individual(s) and/or recognized student organization still must meet the 21 classroom day deadline.
After receiving the application, the FOC shall hold a hearing to gather information, which will determine the dispersal of funds being requested.
1. The FOC reserves the right to recommend full, partial, or no funding based on its discretion.
The individual(s) and/or officially recognized student organization(s) requesting funds is required to send a representative to the weekly FOC meeting. The application will be denied until a representative is present.
The meetings shall adhere to a structured agenda, proposed by the Director of Finance and the Dean of Student Development’s designee, to be approved by a majority vote of the FOC.
6. Required Documentation: Outlined below are the documentation requirements and timelines:
A) Conferences / Competitions:
1. Funding application
2. List of who will be in attendance (if changes are to be made FOC must be notified
immediately).
3. Official cost of lodging, tax included, from the place of stay including the name,
address and telephone number of said establishment;
4. Detailed itinerary
5. Estimated cost of travel;
6. Name and address of registration for the conference/competition.
a) No money will be allotted unless all documents are included.
B) Special events:
1. Funding application
2. A poster/flyer including the dates of the function.
3. If the individual(s) and/or officially recognized student organization(s) is/are
bringing in any paid individual(s)/organization(s) they must also include with the
funding application a copy of the contract and/or invoice, the
individual(s)/organization(s)
4. Official cost of lodging from the place of stay including the name, address and
telephone number of said establishment
5. List of total costs, including tax, of any other expenses to be incurred.
a) No money will be allotted unless all documents are included.
C) W-9 forms are required in order to pay for outside presenters, performers, or services
rendered. The W-9 forms may be turned in after the aforementioned paperwork with the
understanding that money cannot be allotted to cover this expense unless the W-9 forms are presented. It is required to turn in the W-9 form(s) at least two weeks (10 classroom days) prior to the event/conference in order for payment to be made by date of said event/conference. No money will be allotted unless the poster/flyer is included.
D) There shall be no post-event funding.
E) Any individual(s) and/or officially recognized student organization(s) requesting funds are required to sign a contract agreeing that said funds will be used for its stated purpose.
1. In breach of contract, the individual(s) and/or officially recognized student organization(s) will be held liable for the funds used.
7. Follow Up Procedure: Outlined below are the follow up procedures for a individual(s) and/or recognized student organization that received funding.
- All the
original receipts must be submitted to the FOC along with bills,
completed registrations forms, invoices and a typed follow-up report
that account’s for the money allocated.
- This documentation must be received within two weeks (10 classroom days) after the event.
- Failure to comply will result in the club or organization that received funding being derecognized by the Student Senate.
- In the case of an individual student, the student will not be allowed to receive funding in the future.
- The FOC /
Senate reserves the right to investigate the use of all funds
allocated. If the FOC / Senate finds that the funds allocated have
been misused or misrepresented, individual(s) and/or officially
recognized student organization(s) will be held liable.
- The Student Senate will recover any money spent that is not accounted for, or the individual(s) and/or officially recognized student organization(s) will be held liable.
- With just cause, the FOC may cancel a portion or all the allocation at any time with a 2/3 quorum vote of the FOC.
8. Appeal Procedure: Outlined below is the appeal process for any individual(s) and/or recognized student organization that wish to appeal the decision of the FOC.
A. Any individual(s) and/or officially recognized student organization(s) may submit an appeal to the SGA President within one week (5 classroom days) from which funding was denied.
1. Within one week (5 classroom days) after the appeal was filed, funds denied will automatically be discussed during new business the following Senate meeting.
2. The Student Senate must have a 2/3 vote of quorum to overturn any FOC decision.
B. Any individual(s) and/or officially recognized student organization(s) may submit a final appeal to the Student Court within one week (5 classroom days) from which funding was denied by the Student Senate.