Standing Rules

Fall 2011

Section I: Regular Meetings

  1. Meetings will be held at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday opposite Full Senate Meetings, or as called by the Chair.

Section II: Parliamentary Authority

  1. The parliamentary authority will be Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised.

Section III: Funding Process

  1. Appropriations - unforeseen one-time expenditures, one-time capital outlays, or travel.

  2. Spring Budget Process - basic operating expenses

  3. Fall Budget Process - basic operating expenses for groups that:

    1. missed the previous Spring Process

    2. were zeroed out by the Finance Committee in the Spring Process

    3. are new student organizations

  4. and one-time capital outlays

Section IV: Funding

  1. All requests for funding must be typed or printed clearly on a Senate Appropriation Funding Request Form and be delivered to the ASUNM Vice President by 12 noon on the Friday prior to a Finance Committee Meeting to be placed on the agenda as new business. Any requests received after this deadline will be considered at the subsequent Finance Committee Meeting unless otherwise determined by the Chair.

  2. Copies of the requests and agenda must be made available to each Committee member, the Vice President, and President Pro-Tempore by the Chair at least twenty-four (24) hours prior to the next regularly scheduled Committee Meeting.

  3. All Finance Committee business must be submitted in final form to the Vice President by 12 noon on the Friday following Committee Meeting for consideration at the next Full Senate Meeting.

  4. Any group requesting funds must have an undergraduate member of the organization present at the Committee Meeting when their request is to be discussed.

    1. Requests that are not represented at their scheduled Finance Committee Hearing will be passed at zero (0) dollars.

    2. Groups unable to attend their scheduled Hearing must provide the Finance Chair with 24 hour notice.

  5. The Finance Committee observes the following criteria in all funding:

    1. The maximum funds allotted to refreshments/food will not exceed $150.00.

    2. The maximum funds allotted to educational supplies will not exceed $200.00.

    3. The maximum funds allotted to office supplies will not exceed $100.00.

    4. The maximum funds allotted to postage will be for one (1) coil based on current postage rates.

    5. The maximum funds allotted for telephone line charges will be $270.00 per line for a maximum of three (3) lines, and $100.00 for long distance charges per telephone line.

    6. The maximum funds allotted to each honorarium will not exceed $100.00.

    7. The maximum funds allotted for travel are as follows:

      1. The maximum number of undergraduate students funded will be two (2) per organization, per event.

      2. $50.00 per diem, per person, per day (this includes food and lodging). The Finance Committee will take travel days into consideration.

      3. The Finance Committee funds driving at a maximum of $0.32 per mile, at a maximum of two vehicles

      4. The Finance Committee funds airfare at a maximum of 50% of coach or economy class only.

    8. Student groups cannot receive funding for individual membership dues or for group dues paid to exist as a chapter of a larger organization.

    9. The maximum funds allotted to conference fees will not exceed $50.00 per person, per conference.

    10. $750 is the maximum amount a New Student Organization requesting funds through the Fall or Spring budget process or an Appropriation bill may receive. A New Student Organization is defined for the purposes of Finance Committee funding as:

      1. a student organization that did not participate in at least one of the two budget processes immediately preceding the current request. Participation in a budget process consists of both submitting a budget packet and attending the scheduled budget hearing. 

        OR:

      2. a student organization that has not received funding through an appropriation bill in the past two semesters.

    11. Chartered student organizations may receive funding through appropriations from the Finance Committee only once per semester.

    12. Student groups cannot receive funding for items such as laptops, digital cameras, or any form of traveling technology.

    13. The maximum funds allotted to computer costs will not exceed $900.00.

    14. The maximum funds allotted to printer costs will not exceed $150.00.

    15. Event planning will be funded at the discretion of the committee.

    16. All standing rules are at the discretion of the Finance Committee.

Section V: Speaking Time

  1. Speaking time for members of the Committee will be limited to two (2) minutes unless responding to questions from the Committee.

  2. In considering Appropriation Bills and Budget Revisions, the student group will be allotted five (5) minutes speaking time followed by a five (5) minute question and answer period from the Committee.

Section VI: Agenda

  1. Opening

    1. Call to Order

    2. Roll Call

    3. Approval of Agenda

    4. Approval of Minutes

  2. Preliminary Business

    1. Guest Speaker

    2. Finance Chair

    3. Finance Vice Chair

    4. Gallery and Media

  3. Business

    1. Appropriation Bills

      1. Unfinished

      2. New Business

    2. Budget Revisions

  4. Committee Member Reports

  5. Closing

    1. Adjournment

Section VII: Quorum

  1. Quorum will be a simple majority of the seated Committee Members.

Section VIII: Voting

  1. All votes will be taken by voice. In case of dissent, a roll call vote will be taken and will be recorded by the Vice Chair.

  2. Absolutely no proxy votes will be allowed from Committee Members. A Committee Member must be present on order to vote for an appropriation, budget revision, or budget request.

Section IX: Minutes

  1. Minutes will be taken by the Finance Committee Vice Chair for each regular meeting, emergency meeting, Budget Hearing, and during Budget Deliberations.

  2. Only those minutes from regular meetings, emergency meetings, and Budget Deliberations should be typed for distribution and filing.

    1. The Finance Committee Vice Chair will be responsible for the typing and distribution of minutes taken during Budget Deliberations. Minutes taken during Budget Hearings should be copied and distributed in hand-written form by the Vice Chair.

    2. All other minutes will be delivered to the Senate Secretary for typing, distribution, and filing by 12 noon on the day following the Committee Meeting.

  3. All minutes should include:

    1. Time and place the meeting was called to order, who was presiding, any guest speakers, the names of all Committee Members present, and names of Committee Members who are late, absent, or leave early.

    2. The Committee Member who presents the motion, the final vote on all motions, the final amounts allocated or revised for each line item, and any conditions or stipulations recommended by the Committee.

Section X: Absences

  1. Any member having two (2) or more unexcused absences will lose voting privileges at the next meeting, and/or be subject to any further reprimands that the Committee feels are necessary. Excuses will be determined by the Chair of the Finance Committee.