Good Morning Club and Organizations,
I want to provide you with some important information regarding the Student Government Association (SGA) Conference Policy so you can plan accordingly if you would like to apply to present before the Budget and Finance Committee for a Summer or Fall (September and October) Conference. The Budget and Finance Committee will be hearing requests on Tuesday, March 22 and Wednesday, March 23rd. The following step-by-step checklist will ensure that all the necessary steps are completed, and enough time is allowed for conference approval, receipt of funds, and the booking of your trip.
1. Gather all trip details and create a budget and itinerary. Feel free to reach out to the Office of Student Involvement or your organization advisor at any point in this process.
Please refer to the SGA Budget and Finance Policies here to ensure your conference aligns with SGA’s definition of a conference, the maximum number of attendees, and the maximum amount of conference funding permitted.
Temporary change in occupancy: Hotel rooms are 2 students/room – must ensure that all students are comfortable sharing rooms with other students.
As always, chaperones will have a separate room from students and are not permitted to have guests on overnight trips. You must have a confirmed chaperone prior to submitting the trip request.
Please be aware that SGA policies surrounding the number of conference attendees is non-negotiable. Also, requests are not guarantees for funding. The Budget and Finance Committee works with limited funds and fulfills club requests on a first-come, first-served basis.
2. Once you have your budget and itinerary you can submit your request to the Office of Student Involvement (OSI) for approval here. Please make sure to submit your request to our office a minimum of 2 weeks prior to the date you wish to present and 8 weeks before the date of your conference to allow enough time to make any necessary corrections with OSI, submit your request to SGA, be approved by Budget and Finance and Senate, receive your funds, and book the trip. (i.e., If you want to present on March 22, you must submit your request to OSI by March 8..)
3. After you are approved by OSI you will then submit your request here to present in front of the Budget and Finance Committee. The VP of Finance will inform you of your presentation date and the material to be submitted the Wednesday prior to the Budget and Finance Meeting. (i.e., if you are presenting on March 22, 2022, your material must be submitted by Wednesday, March 16, 2022). Please refer to the Budget and Finance Calendar located here for more information.
4. If you are approved by the Budget and Finance Committee, your request will be brought in front of the Senate for final approval.
If your request is approved by senate, you will be notified by the VP of Finance and your funds will be available immediately following the email.
For an extensive, step-by-step list, please refer to the Trip Planning Guide located in Module 4 of the UC Clubs and Organizations Brightspace Training to ensure that all the necessary steps have been completed prior to departing for the trip.
All trip policies are subject to change based on developing conditions related to COVID-19. Please be aware that If COVID-19 conditions develop, conferences may be canceled at the last minute. You can find updates regarding policies at snhusga.org/budgetfinance
If you have any questions please reach out!
With Penmen Pride,
-Ryan Barrett, BS.IT
Student Government Association | President
