The ASSU Undergraduate Senate and a number of student group financial officers battled it out Wednesday night as groups demonstrated continued concern for a roster of new funding policies — which passed in a unanimous vote after final deliberation — that may constrict their functioning capacity.

The Senate Appropriations Committee convened for a policy review session on Sunday to revise proposed amendments to funding policies that will make the rules about how groups may spend special fees funds more strict.

Many of the policies point at creating firmer guidelines for how groups spend money, leaving little to luxury, let alone full coverage, for travel expenses which remain integral parts of some groups’ activities.

Some Spending Caps Debilitating, FO Says

Adam Adler ’12, financial officer for Stanford Mock Trial, pleaded against the amendments to travel funding policies, suggesting that its limitations aren’t “going to allow [Mock Trial and others] to function.”

The caps on travel funding in particular constrain the mobility of the team and out-of-pocket spending is something that “a significant portion of the team can’t do, and some of the team won’t do,” Adler said.

The tug-of-war between senators and FOs entered new territorial ground this week as the body discussed judgments about the utility that the Senate assigns to each group in terms of its ability to satisfy and enrich large groups of students.

“We think that there are some things that bring more value to the student body than others,” said Alex Katz ’12, suggesting that activities, including student travel, that benefit only a very limited sector of the Stanford community should not be funded by special fees as heavily as they have been in the past.

“We don’t think it’s totally justified for when you pay your special fee of $100 to then get thousands and thousands of dollars for your Mock Trial group so that you can travel around the country,” Katz said.

Adler expressed views consistent with former Appropriations Chair Stephanie Epps ’10, who suggested that the bill passed after a re-vote last week would only encourage groups seeking special fees to request larger budgets than before. If the goal of the bill backfires, then the Senate could face groups that go unapproved and are not buoyed by alternative funding that “cease to exist entirely.”

FOs Given Enough Time for Input on Policies?

Some members of the Senate voiced a lack of commitment on behalf of FOs to contributing more actively to the policy review process.

“I received no suggestions [regarding policies],” said Anton Zietsman ‘12.

But questions seem to remain among many FOs as to why the policy review has only just begun and why so little time has been given to groups to offer their opinions.

According to Zietsman, the review session for the policies considered had been discussed for at least two weeks prior to convening formally on Sunday. “I think there has been sufficient time,” he said.

Katz agreed that time for input was plenty — the issue was rather a lack of interest by many in the policy review process.

“There are four people on this campus who seem interested in this problem, or interested enough to provide policy suggestions,” Katz said.

The Senate has reported that the reforms written in the spirit of fiscal responsibility are meant to drive down the student activities fee, which has reached exorbitant rates, according to some senators. Undergraduate students paid $119 per quarter in special fees this year, and have the option to request refunds later.

“I don’t want you to assume that the apocalypse is going to happen when this takes into affect . . . we will continue to give out money, but once again, we’re just trying to get people to be more responsible with the amount that they ask for,” said Senator Steven Singleton ’10.

Funding Requests Still on the Rise, But Senate Remains Under Projected Budget

In a report of January’s spending, Zietsman outlined the continued increase of groups’ funding requests, nearly $70,000 since last year. Despite this increase, the number of accepted requests remains at a record low for the past few years at only 34 percent approval rate, compared to 60 to 70 percent in the past three years.

Meanwhile, as election season approaches, elections commissioner Quinn Slack ’11 is finalizing modifications to the elections process. Polling stations will be arranged across campus, Slack has said, along with what he has called a “free to run,” policy which will delegate some of the election commission’s marketing funds to be put to use by candidates for their individual campaigns.

Without much of the dispute that dominated the former part of its meeting, the Senate passed all funding bills as well as the new cabinet-level humanitarian aid position of the Haiti relief “czar.”