Handbook

A. SGC Mission Statement

The Student Governance Council (SGC) is the representative body for the Ithaca College student community. SGC works with the student community to implement change on campus and improve student life. Additionally, SGC is the link between the students and the Senior Leadership Team providing student feedback on campus issues and plans.

B. The Appropriations Committee Mission Statement

The mission of the Appropriations Committee is to fairly and transparently support student organizations with financial resources to successfully pursue their mission and encourage involvement on and off campus.

A. Meetings to Attend

SGC Funding Training Workshops: The required training session presented by the VP of Business & Finance for student organizations to attend. This session will review the Handbook, the funding process, how to submit a budget, and major policies and procedures. It will not cover all of the details of the Allocations Handbook.

Appropriations Committee Meeting: The meeting in which student organizations who have submitted budget requests present their budgets to the Appropriations Committee. This schedule is sent out on Monday before the meeting.

B. The Verdict of a Budget

Approved: The SGC Appropriations Committee voted to approve your organization's budget, in which your organization will be allocated the approved amount of funds. Any stipulations with the amount funded will be included in the notification email from the Assistant VP of Business & Finance.

Denied: The SC Appropriations Committee voted to deny your organization's budget, in which your organization will not be allocated any money for the submitted budget request. The reason for denial will be included in the budget notification email from the Assistant VP of Business and Finance. The organization will not be allowed to re-submit the budget again if it is denied.

Tabled: The SGC Appropriations Committee voted to table your organization's budget, in which your organization will not be allocated any money for the submitted budget request. The reason will be included in the budget notification email from the Assistant VP of Business & Finance. The organization will be allowed to re-submit the budget again if it is tabled if it includes the adjustments outlined by the Appropriations Committee.

C. IC Engage

Unapproved: This is the default status when a budget is submitted on IC Engage. When the Appropriations Committee votes on the budget it will change one of the following statuses: Canceled, denied, or completed.

Canceled: This status is either when the Appropriations Committee votes to table the budget with instructions on what needs to be changed before re-submitting, or when the VP reviews your budget before sending it to the Committee and finds issues with it and sends it back.

Denied: This status is the same as the verdict of the budget. This means that the Appropriations Committee voted to deny the budget and they will not allocate any money to this budget.

Completed: This status correlates with the approved status of the budget. This means that the Appropriations Committee voted to approve your budget and will fund the approved amount of funds

A. Expectations of the Vice President of Business and Finance

Communication

1. Email: Response within 48 business hours.
2. Website: Up-to-date information about funding.
3. Office Hours: Students can meet one-on-one with the Vice President upon request.

Support

1. The Allocation Process will be as transparent and fair as possible. ii.

2. They will provide personal assistance to help clubs be able to have a successful year.

3. They will listen to feedback from clubs on how they can amend any policies in the handbook to better support student organizations and the IC community.

B. Expectations of the Appropriations Committee

Attendance

1. 100% attendance! It is extremely important to make every week's meeting because the committee must meet quorum to vote on budgets. 
2. If something comes up please email the VP as soon as possible so they can plan accordingly.

Participation

1. The Vice President expects you to review the budget submissions and supporting documentation prior to Wednesday night's meeting.
2. Please keep your camera on during all Appropriations Meetings out of respect for the student organizations presenting.
3. Ask critical questions to the clubs to get a better understanding of how what they are requesting for funding relates to their mission.

Additional Support:

1. In addition to the VP's training sessions and office hours, the committee may be expected to provide additional support to student organizations to understand the allocation process.

C. Expectations of Student Organizations

Communication

1. Read all communications from the VP (emails, newsletters, Instagram, website).
2. Email correspondence should be a last resort after reading all materials.
3. Come to office hours to get help! Face to face is always better than email to understand the process.

Education

1. Whoever is submitting the budget request must first attend an SGC Funding Training Session. This should be the treasurer, but other members of your organization may attend and submit budgets as well.
2. Read the Allocations Handbook to fully understand the funding process, the rules, policies, etc. behind the Appropriations Committee on behalf of SGC.

Management

1. All student organization treasurers are responsible for monitoring their organization's finances. If another member of your student organization submits a budget request on behalf of your organization, you are expected to communicate with each other about this financial transaction.
2. As treasurer, you are also expected to not spend any allocated money on items/events not originally allocated for.

Expectations of Newly Recognized Organizations and First-Time Funding Requestors

1. Have a maximum total allocation of 1 percent of the total budget.
2. Read through the "How to Present to SGC" section to learn what is expected.

A. Before Starting a Budget Request

• Verify that you are an OSE-recognized student organization
• Complete the SGC Funding Training Workshop
• Download the most up-to-date budget template (from the SGC Website)
• Review the entirety of the Allocations Handbook
• Review the suggested price list (located on the budget)
• Gather all your supporting documentation

B. How to Complete a Budget Request

Download the most up-to-date budget template

Follow the directions on the first sheet of the Excel document. This includes filling out the top section of the template, all line items requested, and attaching supporting documentation to the budget request.

Rename the budget request with the organization's name (or acronym) & name of the type of budget.

• Example: SGC Fall Operational 2020
• Example: SGC Kick-Off Event 2020
• Example: SGC Boston Conference November 2020

C. How to Submit a Budget Request

1. Once you have completed the Budget Request for your organization, go to your organization's IC Engage portal.
2. Click on "Manage Organization" in the top right of the organization's portal.
3. Click the three horizontal lines located on the left side of the top bar of the organization's portal.
4. Click "Finance" on the bar located on the left side, under the three horizontal bars.
5. This is the organization's finance page. Click "Create Funding Request".
6. Complete the form with the appropriate information about the organization.
7. Upload the completed Budget Request.
8. Read the instructions for "After Submitting a Budget".
9. Click "Submit Request".

D. How to Submit Supporting Documentation

It is required to submit supporting documentation with budget requests because it is a justification for the money that is being requested.

Supporting documentation is required for every single item that is requested funding.

Supporting documentation is attached to the Budget Request template on the 3rd tab of the Excel spreadsheet.

Examples of items that need documentation:

• Catering from Wegmans: A screenshot of the Wegmans online catering menu.
• Contract for a speaker: A digital copy of the invoice or contract with the speaker.
• Streamers from Party City: A screenshot of an online cart with the supplies itemized out.

E. The Allocations Process

1. Complete the Budget Request
2. Submit the Budget Request on IC Engage
3. The Assistant VP of Business & Finance will email the organization member who submitted the budget with the schedule for the following Wednesday's meeting. Note: Your organization's time will be listed in the document sent in the email.
4. Attend & present your organization's budget request at the Wednesday night meeting.
5. Allocation notification will be emailed to organization members by Friday. This notification will be one of three verdicts: approved, denied, or tabled.

F. Important Dates and Times for the Appropriations Committee

Appropriations Committee Meetings are held every Wednesday. They will start hearing budgets as early as 7:00pm and will not hear any budgets past 10:00pm.

The SGC Appropriations Committee will not meet to review and vote on budgets on these specific days: the Wednesday before Fall Break, the week of Thanksgiving Break, the Wednesday after Winter Break, the week during Spring Break, and during any final weeks.

G. The Allocations Process Timeline

*Student organizations can submit budget requests at any time.

A. The Allocations Process

It is up to the discretion of the VP of Business and Finance to when the Allocation Process opens each academic year.

There are many factors that are weighed into the opening date of the Allocation Process including when the Senate starts meeting and recruitment of members. Typically, the first Appropriations Committee meeting of the Fall Semester is the first Wednesday in October.

The committee will meet at least once a week, as specified by the
committee at the beginning of each semester. The time of this meeting may change throughout the semester by a majority vote of the committee.

B. During Block I your organization can request funds for:

• Programming (Fall & Spring)
• Travel (Fall & Spring)
• Fundraising (Fall & Spring)
• Travel Fundraising (Fall & Spring)
• Operational (Fall)

C. During Block II your organization can request funds for:

• Programming (Fall & Spring)
• Travel (Fall & Spring)
• Fundraising (Fall & Spring)
• Travel Fundraising (Fall & Spring)
• Operational (Fall & Spring)

D. During Block Ill your organization can request funds for:

• Programming (Spring)
• Travel (Spring)
• Fundraising (Spring)
• Travel Fundraising (Spring)
• Operational (Spring)

E. During Block IV your organization can request funds for:

• Programming (Spring & Next Fall Block I)
• Travel (Spring & Next Fall Block I)
• Fundraising (Spring & Next Fall Block I)
• Travel Fundraising (Spring & Next Fall Block I)
• Operational (Spring & Next Fall)

There are five different types of budgets student organizations can request funding. There are basic rules for all budgets and each of these types of budgets has its own criteria and rules that need to be followed when requesting funding for them. The five different budget types are: Operational, Programming, Travel, Fundraising, and Travel Fundraising.

A. Rules & Policies that apply to all budget requests

General rules and policies:

1. The amount that any single organization is able to request in total during the course of an academic year is limited to 10% of the overall SGC budget.
2. SGC will not fund any retroactive purchases. All items requested on the budget must not have been previously purchased.
3. Everything requested on the budget must have supporting documentation to provide the justification for the cost. (This must be current, and not used from previous years or requests).
4. New organizations may receive a maximum total allocation of 1% of the overall SGC budget for their first active semester requesting funds from SC. This allows the organization to demonstrate financial responsibility to SGC for future funding requests.
5. All posters funded by SGC must include the SGC logo to prove sponsorship of the organization.
6. Any item over $500 must provide an alternative source to provide evidence that the organization chose the most fiscally responsible option.
7. Co-Sponsorships are highly encouraged by SGC. Organizations are supported to collaborate with other organizations and academic departments. For this process, each student organization must submit a budget requesting money for the part of the event. Each budget will be allocated to the designated student organization account.

B. Operational Budget

Definition:

1. An operational budget is used to request funding for any expenses, materials, products, food, etc. that a student organization needs to function as an organization.
2. This budget is NOT used to request money for an event, fundraiser, or travel that your organization is planning.

General Rules & Policies:

1. Each organization can only request one operational budget per semester (one for the fall semester, and one for the spring semester).
2. If an operational budget request totals $250 or under, or an organization has the same budget that has already been presented during the academic year, which has already been approved by the Appropriation Committee, the organization has the opportunity to "opt-out" of presenting to the Appropriations Committee. Student organizations that are requesting funding for the first time this academic school year must come present to the committee even if it qualifies as an opt-out.
3. Fall operational budgets can be requested between Block IV of the previous year and the last day of Block II of the current school year.
4. All funds allocated for a Fall Operational Budget must be spent in the fall semester or they will be taken out of the student organization's account and returned to SGC.
5. Spring operational budgets can be requested between Block II of the current academic year and the last day of Block IV of the academic year.
6. All funds allocated for the Spring Operational Budget must be spent in the spring semester or they will be taken out of the student organization's account and returned to SGC.

Food purchases:

1. SGC provides a list of common food items and prices called the "Suggested Price List". It is not required that this list is referenced when creating a budget, but may be used instead of other supporting information.
2. Must meet with CES if you are getting catering - must provide a quote for your meeting as supporting documentation for the prices.
3. SGC will only fund food for up to two meetings per operational allocation.
4. SGC will fund a minimum of a 15% tip for any food that SGC is already planning to fund.

Material purchases:

1. Items that will be purchased for use within an organization may be covered in full by SGC funds. Such items include tabling materials, office supplies, and decorations if they are not provided by the Student Activities Center. These items are expected to stay within the organization for future use.
2. SGC will not fund membership fees associated with membership such purchases include individual membership fees, chapter fees, and membership dues.
3. SGC will not fund the purchase of items that are intended for personal use. Although these items may be used for the organization, they will be kept by individual members and will not benefit the organization.
4. SGC will only fund t-shirts if the use of the t-shirts aligns with the organization's mission statement and serves a purpose that would benefit the greater good of the campus community.
5. SGC will not fund the purchase of equipment due to the availability of various types of equipment here at Ithaca College. The purchase of equipment for internal use within an organization will not be funded by SGC. If an organization wishes to purchase equipment, it must find alternative means to do so.
6. SGC will not fund the creation, maintenance, or anything else in regard to an organization's personal website.
7. SGC will fund merchandise for student organizations if the merchandise aligns with the organization's mission statement and serves a purpose that would benefit all the members of the organization.

Print Publication Magazine Materials:

1. Print Copy Amount
   • SGC will only fund printed copy amounts limited by amount per cycle and amount per semester per year:
     • A maximum of 500 copies will be funded per cycle.
     • A maximum of 1,500 copies will be funded per semester.

2. Website

   • If a student organization decides to request funding from SGC for the following, this decision must be implemented for a full calendar year.

   • If the website (SquareSpace, WordPress, etc.), and supporting website subscriptions (Issue, etc.), aligns with the print publication student organization's mission and is deemed essential to operate, provided that Ithaca College's website does not support their needs, we will fund an external website for them if:

     • The student organization will print no more than 750 copies per semester for the full academic year (allowing a total of 1,500 per academic year)
     • Student organizations will not be required to follow a specific cycle cap.
     • Websites must be funded for the full year.

3. Distribution Breakdown

   • Before receiving funding for publications, the student organizations must complete a breakdown for the number of copies and the locations where they distribute them (i.e. Campus Center 2nd floor lobby: 50 copies).

C. Programming Budget

Definition:

1. A programming budget is used to request funding for any on-campus event that an organization would like to host.
2. This budget is NOT used to request funds for materials for general body meetings, travel, or fundraisers.
3. Each organization can request multiple programming budgets per semester.
4. Each programming budget must be requesting funds for only ONE event at a time. Multiple budgets can be submitted and presented per week. Programming budgets must be submitted at least two weeks prior to the date of their event if their program relies on on-campus resources. This allows time for the organization to perform the necessary tasks leading up to their events including working with campus partners such as the Office of Student Engagement, CES for catering, A/V, etc. Programming budgets that do NOT depend on these services need not comply with the two-week advance deadline.
5. Organizations completing a payment with OSE, please note that it will take at least 2 weeks of advance notice to process funding.
6. If a programming budget request totals $150 or under, the organization can "opt-out" of presenting to the Appropriations Committee. Student organizations that are requesting funding for the first time this academic year must come present to the committee even if it qualifies as an opt-out.
7. All funds allocated for a programming budget must be spent on the specified items on the budget. If all the funds were not spent from the programming budget they will be taken out of the student organization's account and returned to SC.
8. The total cost of the request may not exceed $30 per person.

General Rules & Policies:

1. SGC will only fund programs that are open to the entire campus community. Exclusive events will not be funded by SGC.
2. SGC will not fund events that occur within the summer months. The first day of programming is the first day of the academic year and the last day of programming is the last day of the academic year.
3. It is required that every student organization must post their events on IC Engage. When posting an event on Engage, student organizations must also post to the IC Events Calendar. Student organizations may reach out to studentorgs@ithaca.edu to contact the Office of Student Engagement SLC Online Programming Team if you have any questions or need assistance in any way putting on your event.
4. SGC will fund prizes for events if all event attendees are eligible to win the prizes. The total amount funded for prizes shall not exceed $50 times the number of hosting organizations, with a maximum of $200 to be allocated for prizes.
5. It is required that all student organizations have a health & safety officer, and guarantee that their program is compliant with all the health/community guidelines for in-person events as established by the Office of Student Engagement and Ithaca College.

Food purchases:

1. SGC provides a list of common food items and prices called the “Suggested Price List”. This list can be referenced when creating a budget.
2. Must meet with CES if you are getting catering - must provide a quote for your meeting as supporting documentation for the prices.
3. Total cost of request may not exceed $30 per person (important for catering)
4. SGC will not fund the purchase of alcohol for use at events.
5. SGC will fund a minimum of a 15% tip for any food that SGC is already planning to fund.
6. SGC will fund delivery fees for any food that SGC is already planning to fund if there is supporting documentation provided and presented before the committee.

Advertising purchases:

1. SGC will fund the purchase of posters for student organizations to promote events.
2. All advertising materials funded by SGC must display the SGC logo on them to indicate that SGC sponsored the organization. This is to promote awareness of SGC funding to other organizations across campus.
3.  
4. All events funded by SGC that occur on/off campus must have an event created on IC Engage as a form of advertising for the event. This will allow the organization to be able to track attendance and save detailed information to their organization’s portal about the event and compile all events happening in one central resource.

Hosting A Speaker/Entertainers costs:

1. SGC will fund no more than two meals per day, with a maximum of $25 per meal.
2. SGC will fund a contract that has been processed through the Office of Student Engagement that is all-inclusive. All-inclusive means all travel, meals, lodging costs, and honorarium fees are paid in one payment after the professional services have been provided.
3. SGC will not fund a contract that is already signed because is a form of retroactive funding and SGC will not be able to fund the expense.

Vendors:

1. Ithaca College has a pre-approved list of companies for student organizations to use. This list is provided under the "Risk Management" section of the college website. There are lists of bus, inflatables, and game vendor companies. Only vendors on these lists will receive funding."
2. SGC will fund the payment attached to hiring students only if they are hired through the Office of Student Engagement. This includes, but is not limited to, DIs, photographers, and other professional services.
3. SGC will not fund non-specific items with no specific association. Such items include overage charge covers, risk management, or miscellaneous items. These items are not specific to one category and are not guaranteed expenses.

D. Travel/Conference Budget

Definition:

1. A travel budget is used to request funding for off-campus activities for an organization. This could be off-campus programming that is open to the community or travel to another location for only organizational members.
2. This budget is NOT used to request funds for materials for general body meetings, on-campus programming, or fundraisers.
3. Each travel budget must be requesting funds for only ONE trip at a time.
4. The trip supported by the travel budget must connect to the mission of the student organization. This must be communicated with the committee when presenting the budget.
5. Any student organization that has the goal of raising funds during travel is classified as a "Travel Fundraiser" Budget. Please refer to the fundraising section for more specific details.

General Rules & Policies:

1. Due to the expense of travel, there is a non-negotiable travel allocation maximum of $5,000 per academic year. Although a student organization's travel proposal may exceed $5,000, organizations will receive a single or combination of allocations that will exceed the maximum allowed.
2. SGC will fund travel events that every single member of the organization has the opportunity to attend. It is strongly encouraged that travel events include an equal number of general body members and executive board members.
3. SGC will not fund travel events that exclude certain members of an organization. This includes executive board member-only travel events, or events where participation is limited by an outstanding factor.
4. SGC will not fund travel events that exclude certain members of an organization. This includes executive board member-only travel events, or events where participation is limited by an outstanding factor.
5. SGC will fund the registration fees associated with registration for travel events for the 2020-2021 Academic School Year. Such purchases will include admission or registration fees to events and conferences.
6. SGC will not fund a student who is not currently enrolled at Ithaca College or any students who are not currently members of the respective organization, this includes advisors.
7. Each organization can request multiple travel budgets per semester.
8. Travel budgets must be submitted at least 6 weeks before the date of the trip. This allows time for the organization to complete the travel authorization process through the Office of Student Engagement.
9. The travel budget request CANNOT be opt-ed out. All student organizations requesting funds for travel must present to the committee.
10. All funds allocated for a travel budget must be spent on the specific items on the budget. If all funds were not spent from the programming budget, they will be taken out of the student organization's account and returned to SGC.

Food purchases:

1. SGC will fund meals associated with the trip for members during the duration of the trip.

Travel Expense:

1. SGC will fund the purchase of gas during the travel events. Funds to cover gas may be requested for both Ithaca College vehicles and personal vehicles. The organization must use the "Gas Equation" to support its funding request.
2. The gas equation is: (Current NYS Avg. Gas Price * Number of Miles Traveled * Number of Vehicles)/25 MPG.
3. The current national gasoline average can be found at:
   newyorkstategasprice.com
4. SGC will fund the purchase of airline tickets for student organizations' travel if supporting documentation is provided to support the requested funds. Note that if the price of any airline ticket increases after an allocation has been made, it is the student organization's responsibility to cover the full amount of the difference.
5. SGC will fund ground transportation needs, such as taxis, Ubers, buses, etc. including tips associated with the ride.
6. SGC will fund parking and tolls under the condition that the vehicles have at least four-fifths of their seats filled with members while bringing students to an organization's event

Lodging Expenses:

1. SGC will fund the purchases of hotel accommodations during travel events. It is expected that organizations upload multiple supporting documentation comparing other hotels in the area to provide a rationale for the pricing of the hotel accommodations.

E. Fundraiser Budget

Definitions:

1. Fundraising loans are effectively programming proposals with the goal of raising funds for the student organization. SC lends funds to student organizations to enable them to run fundraising events.
2. All money allocated to a student organization for a fundraising loan must be returned to SGC after the fundraiser is complete. All other funds raised in excess of the loan will be kept by the student organization.
3. An organization will not be in debt to SGC if the money fundraised is less than the total allocation to the organization.

General Rules & Policies:

1. SGC will fund the purchase of shirts if they are for the intent of making a profit.
2. It is important to note that the state of New York charges a tax rate on all items sold on the Ithaca College campus. The respective rates will be applied to any deposits made into a student organization's accounts, and the applicable tax will be deducted from the full deposit amount. The tax for apparel sales is 4%, and the tax for all other merchandise sales is 8%.
3. All rules & policies from programming and travel apply to fundraising budgets.

E. Travel Fundraiser Budget

1. A travel fundraiser budget is a student organization trip with the goal of raising money for the student organization.
2. Similarly to a Fundraiser Loan Budget, all money allocated to a student organization for a travel fundraiser must be returned to SC after the fundraiser is complete. All other funds raised in excess of the loan will be kept by the student organization.
3. An organization will not be in debt to SGC if the money fundraised is less than the total allocation to the organization.
4. All travel rules and policies apply to this type of budget.

A. How To Attend An Appropriations Meeting

Rules for the Appropriations Committee Meeting:

1. The Committee must consist of these ratios to be able to function as a voting body on budgets:
   • At least 5 voting members at the meeting (including or plus VP of Business & Finance).
   • No fewer than 7 members & 10 members will be voted to be on the committee.
   • At least one-third of the committee members must be senators.
   • If there is a tie, the VP of Business & Finance will vote to break the tie.

Before attending the meeting:

1. Review your budget, and know exactly where you found your numbers and supporting documentation.

2. Be prepared - the committee might ask you questions about previous events and budgets like the one you are presenting.

3. Know the mission of your organization and how it relates to the budget you are requesting.

The night of the meeting:

1. Come to the designated room 10 minutes before your organization's designated time. There will be chairs outside of the room, for you to wait in. A committee member will come to get you when the committee is ready for you to come present. Do not go into the room until asked.

2. When the committee member retrieves you to come into the room, walk to the front of the room to present. The VP of Business & Finance will have your budget brought up on the screen while you present. If you would like you can control the budget presentation on the screen, you may do so.

3. When presenting be sure to talk about the following:

   • Your position, organization, and mission statement, as well as the budget you are presenting, the date of event/travel (if applicable), and if it has been done before by your organization.

   • Each item you are requesting money for, be sure to have supporting documentation for each item you are requesting money for.

   • If you have other funding sources, know what they are and for how much.

   • Be prepared to answer questions from the committee members if asked.

4. Once you finish your presentation and the committee asks questions, you will be dismissed, and you can leave for the night.

5. The committee will then deliberate the budget request, and vote. This decision will be emailed to your organization member by no later than Friday evening.

B. How To Opt-Out of Presenting a Budget

**All student organizations requesting funds for the first time of the academic school year must present their first budget, even if it is eligible to be an opt-out.**

1. In certain cases, a student organization may elect to opt-out of presenting at the Appropriations Committee meeting. This privilege was created in an attempt to expedite meetings and save the time of individuals involved in presenting. An organization may be eligible to opt-out if:
   • The grand total of an Operational Budget request is less than $250.
   • The grand total of a Programming Budget request is less than $150.
   • An organization has the same budget that has already been presented during the academic year
2. Travel budgets are not eligible to be opted-out of presenting.
3. The notification of the status of your budget (approved, denied, or tabled) will be sent with the presented budget notifications via email.

C. How to Appeal a Budget Allocation Decision

**An appeal is submitted when an organization either receives an allocation they do not want or think is justified, or when an organization's budget is denied, and they think it is unjust. This is a required process and timeline to follow to dispute your funding request decision.

Appeals Process:

1. The organization receives an email notification about the verdict of the budget request.
2. The organization decides whether to submit an appeal to the verdict or not.
3. The organization must submit the appeal by the next scheduled Appropriations Committee meeting. (Submit a completed "Funding Appeal Form" on IC Engage).
4. The organization emails the VP of Business & Finance to notify them of the decision to appeal.
5. The VP of Business & Finance will alert the rest of the SGC Executive Board of the submitted appeal.
6. The VP of Business & Finance will meet with the organization to review the appeal and inform them of how to present their appeal to the SGC Senate.
7. The student organization will come to the next SGC Senate meeting and present its budget appeal and give its rationale as to why they are appealing. The VP of Business & Finance will then present their allocation and their rationale. During this meeting, the Senate will vote on the appeal, and the verdict will be delivered to the student organization that evening about the status of their appeal.
8. The VP of Business & Finance will change the budget allocation according to the verdict of the SGC Senate meeting.

General rules for any appeals:

1. If an organization wishes to submit an appeal they have from the time they receive the email notification about the status of their budget to the next Appropriations Committee meeting. This will typically only be one week, but if it is before a holiday break it will adjust accordingly.
2. To submit an appeal, the organization must submit a completed "Funding Appeal Form" on IC Engage. (this can be found by searching in forms for "Funding Appeal Form").
3. In addition to submitting the complete "Funding Appeal Form" on IC Engage, email the VP of Business & Finance (SGCBusiness@ithaca.edu) and notify them you have submitted an appeal. Mark this email as *High Priority*.

D. How To Return Unused Funds

Why is this required for student organizations?

1. After the Appropriations Committee allocates funds to a student organization the student organization uses the funds given. Once they are done with whatever they requested funding for they are required to return unused funds to SGC. If unused funds aren't returned to SGC directly following the end of their use, they will sit in the student organization's account until the end of the semester and other student organizations will not be able to use these funds.

Each type of budget has its own rule for returning unused funds:

1. Operational Funds must be returned 30 days after the semester concludes. ii. Programming Funds must be returned 30 days after the event concludes. (Or after all campus-provided services have been invoiced).
2. Fundraising Funds must be returned 30 days after the fundraiser concludes.
3. Travel Funds must be returned 30 days after the trip concludes.

How to return funds to SGC?

1. The Office of Student Engagement (OSE) Student Organization Business Coordinator will return all unused funds back to SGC on behalf of the student organization.

A. Student Governance Council Resources

SGC Website:

1. The SGC Website is a resource for student organizations because it has all the information about SC, including the Appropriations Committee and the funding process.

IC Engage:

1. SGC's IC Engage portal has resources for student organizations.
2. Under the "Documents" tab student organizations can find:
   1. The Budget Request Template
   2. Fuel Equation for Travel
   3. Suggested Price List and Locations
3. Under the "Forms" tab student organizations can find:
   1. The "Funding Appeal" Form
   2. The "Returning Unused Funds" Form

Office Hours:

1. For the Academic Year 2020-2021, The VP of Business and Finance will be holding office hours. these office hours are for student organizations to ask questions about the allocation process, their own budget requests, etc.
2. These office hours can be found on the SGC Website and in the bi-weekly newsletter to Treasurers recognized by the Office of Student Engagement.

Emails

1. If student organization members have any questions about the allocation process after reading through the Allocations Handbook please email the VP of Business & Finance at SGCBusiness@ithaca.edu or their assistant at SCCbusiness_assist@ithaca.edu.

B. Campus Resources

Academic Schools:

1. Academic schools are a great resource to request funding from. SGC is not the sole resource for student organizations to request funding from. Another resource for student organizations is their respective academic schools.

The Office of Student Engagement:

1. Every student organization treasurer is required to maintain a detailed record of their respective organization's financial records. These records include (but are not limited to) a list of all transactions, all funding requests from SGC, all funding allocated by SGC, and a running account balance.
2. If the student organization's treasurer needs help, the OSE staff is able to provide resources and information to assist the organization's treasurers.
3. Patti Banfield is the SGC's Appropriations Committee Advisor AND the Student Organization Business Coordinator. Due to being involved in both SGC and OSE, she is an excellent resource for student organizations. However, if your organization has a question about the funding process or the allocation process, please reach out to the VP of Business & Finance and NOT Brittany.