The Co-Funding Board By-Laws

The Co-Funding Board (CFB) is comprised of five CSB senators and five SJU senators, elected by the student body. The SJU senators will be the Chair, Senate Auditor, Board Auditor, and the two Club Auditors from the Activities and Allocations Board (AAB). The CSB senators will be the Allocations Chair, Treasurer, and all three Club Auditors. (For specific information about membership of the CFB, please refer to Section 2 in the CFB Guidelines. For specific duties, please refer to the respective student senate constitution.) The CFB is chaired jointly by the CSB Allocations Chair and the SJU AAB Chair and will meet when they deem necessary.

Purpose
1. The CFB is charged with the duty of allocating a portion of the student activity fee for jointly organized groups and events that add to the communities CSB/SJU through co-curricular and educational activities.
2. The percent of the student activity fee from each senate will reflect the percent of the student body each senate represents.
3. The CFB may reserve up to 10% of its annual funds for the purposes of emergency/spontaneous funding
4. The CFB is responsible for auditing the account of each jointly funded group.
5. CSB-only and SJU-only groups will be referred to each individual senate for their policies and guidelines.
Membership
1. The CFB will be composed of the Allocations Chair, Treasurer, and three Auditors from each senate
2. Upon election to the CFB, all members must sign a Code of Ethics and provide written disclosure of all clubs in which they are involved.
3. Failure to adhere to the Code of Ethics or to provide written disclosure of involvement in clubs can result in impeachment or referral to a board of ethics.
Guidelines

The CFB has rules of appropriate and fair uses of their portion of the student activity fee to guide the allocation process.
1. In General:
  1. The CFB may:
    1. Only consider proposals if the activity/event is open to students of both campuses.
    2. Only consider proposals presented by on-campus organizations.
    3. Fund a flat percentage of the student activity fee to any group with the majority approval of the CFB, plus 2/3 approval of both the SBS & SJS.
  2. The CFB may not:
    1. Fund more than 50% of the CFB portion of the student activity fee to any group.
    2. Fund departmental organizations.
    3. Allow funds, allocated or generated, to be used to pay for alcoholic beverages.
    4. Allocate funds for donations.
    5. Allocate funds to individual students.
    6. Allow club’s funds, allocated or generated, to be kept in off-campus accounts.
      1. Any funds collected within the club cannot be held outside the club’s designated allocated or generated accounts.
    7. Allow funds, allocated or generated, to be used in any manner contradictory to federal or state law.
2. In the case of Travel Expenses:
  1. The CFB may fund:
    1. Up to 2/3 of the cost to rent a university van/car for the use of a student group.
    2. Up to 2/3 of the cost of fueling the university van/car for the duration of the trip.
    3. Up to 2/3 of the cost of other modes of transportation in situations where it is deemed cost-effective by the board.
    4. Up to 2/3 of the cost of lodging/hotel fees for club affiliated attendees of approved conventions/conferences.
    5. Up to 2/3 of the cost of the fuel for a non-university van/car.
3. In the case of Registration Fees:
  1. The CFB may only fund:
    1. Conventions/conferences to which a registration form has been presented.
    2. Registration fees for approved conventions/conferences in the amount of up to $300.00 per person, not to exceed $1,800.00 per event.
  2. The CFB may not fund:
    1. The cost of food for any participant of an approved convention/conference, unless included in the cost of the conference/event.
4. In the case of Stipends:
  1. The CFB will not allow the funding of stipends/honorariums to students of a club/organization out of the student activity fee. If groups desire to fund monies for these purposes, clubs must:
    1. Use their generated funds.
    2. Gain the approval of the club auditor assigned to that group.
    3. Not exceed the appropriate amount as outlined by the offices of Student Accounts, Financial Aid, and Student Development.
    4. Report amounts and recipients of stipends to the offices of Student Accounts, Financial Aid, and Student Development.
5. In the case of Food/Refreshments at Group Functions:
  1. The CFB may fund:
    1. The reasonable cost of food/refreshments for one meeting per semester of an academic year, as deemed by the board, in accordance to the policies of the CFB.
    2. The reasonable cost of food/refreshments at group sponsored events (such as speakers, etc.) on a case-by-case basis, in accordance to the policies of the CFB.
6. In the case of Clothing, Uniforms, and Equipment:
  1. The CFB may fund:
    1. Loans to clubs who wish to produce and sell T-Shirts and other articles of clothing for increasing generated funds, or club awareness. In this case, the clothing design must be approved by Student Activities and any loaned monies must be fully repaid by the end of the semester of the allocation.
    2. The cost of required uniforms/equipment for the use of a club sport team as long as these items remain in the possession of the club for further years’ use.
  2. The CFB will not fund:
    1. The cost of personal clothing, uniforms, and equipment.
General Application:
1. Only groups adhering to all application process and timeline policies will be considered for funding.
2. Groups applying for funding must submit an application for funding with a completed annual budget identifying the month events are scheduled to occur, by the requested deadline set by the CFB for that year. Failure to turn in an annual budget on time will result in the lowest priority of funding.
3. Annual funding presentations to the CFB will be based on the type of club that is submitting a budget. All competition clubs, the academic clubs requesting less than $500, and special interest clubs requesting less than $300 must only submit an electronic copy and 15 hard copies to the CFB. Academic clubs requesting more than $500 and special interest clubs requesting more than $300 must submit an electronic copy, 15 hard copies, and present to the CFB during the annual budgeting presentations. Any club required to present a budget to the CFB during the allocations process that fails to do so will not receive annual funding from the CFB.
4. The CFB recognized that as the club funding process falls after the annual club fair at the beginning of each academic year, the CFB will establish a fund to reserve a specific amount of money, to be determined by the CFB, to provide clubs with a flat fee to use for the fair.
5. To apply to receive funding for the fair, the clubs will reply to an email sent by the CFB at the end of each academic year.
6. Money allocated for the fair and not used will be reabsorbed immediately following the fair, without penalty to the club.
Funding:
1. The CFB will carefully consider all requests, taking into account the amount available to allocate and other sources of funding.
2. Applications will be checked against the CFB guidelines.
3. Applications will be prioritized based on evaluation by the Joint Club Board (JCB) if they are not in good club standing based on the JCB guidelines.
4. All funding applications, including those for spontaneous funding, must include the mission statement of the club, in accordance to their formal constitution. The application must also include the club membership.
5. A majority of CFB members from each individual senate must vote in favor of the proposed allocation for it to be approved.
6. The CFB will release its decisions and notify club contacts of the result.
7. The allocation will be made to the group’s account within a week of the notification of club contact unless there are some concerns about the account.
Other Applications:
1. Emergency/Spontaneous Funding is available for spontaneous activities/events or unpredicted expenses and will be granted only in rare instances.
  *Failure to turn in an annual budget does not constitute a sound reason for emergency/spontaneous funding consideration.
  1. Groups seeking this funding must submit an application for funding with a completed budget, identifying the month events are scheduled to occur and a written explanation that describes the extenuating circumstances resulting in the application for emergency/spontaneous funds.
  2. The group will then be required to present their proposal to the CFB for review, bringing eleven copies of the application to a meeting.
  3. A group may not be considered for funding for any item included in the original budget.
  4. The JEC may not request spontaneous funding; the use of a flat fee includes a 2% emergency fund.
2. Budget Adjustment is available for groups that need to restructure their budget.
  1. Groups may submit a proposal for a budget change with a new completed budget, identifying the month events are scheduled to occur.
  2. The group will then be required to present their proposal to the CFB for review, bringing eleven copies of the application to a meeting.
3. Eligibility
  1. Any student group recognized by the CFB who intends to put on a successful event, using the student activity fee, is eligible for funding.
  2. All groups included in the CFB resolution pertaining to departmental organizations being unable to receive an annual allocation are eligible to receive spontaneous funding for open events.
  3. The CFB reserves the right to define what groups, students, or clubs are eligible for spontaneous funding.
Non-departmental Funded Groups:
1. They will be appointed an auditor if they do not already have one. The auditor and the group’s financial officer (treasurer) are the only authorized signatories of the group’s account.
2. They are required to follow all CSB/SJU Business Office policies and procedures.
3. They must fill out a monthly audit and submit them to their auditor.
  1. If a club does not submit a monthly audit, they will receive a warning from their auditor.
  2. If an audit is not submitted within two weeks of the warning, the club’s account will be frozen until an accurate audit is submitted.
4. Their unused allocated funds will be reabsorbed at the end of the budgetary period.
5. Their generated funds must be claimed in their audit at the end of the budgetary period or they will be reabsorbed.
6. They may not claim or use funds generated from money allocated by the CFB.
7. They may claim money generated from loans or outside sources.
Departmental Funded Groups:
1. Prior to receiving allocated funds, they must provide the name of a departmental contact who oversees the account to which funds are to be transferred.
2. They will be required to submit an expense report to the CFB Co-Chairs upon the completion of the funded event.
3. All unused allocated funds must be returned to the CFB upon the completion of the funded event.
4. Unused allocated funds can not be retained and used for future events.
Joint Events Council Flat Percentage
1. The JEC will receive a 38.5% flat percentage of the Co-Funding Board portion of the student activity fee. The percentage will be taken directly from the total CFB fund at the beginning of the year, after the subtraction of 10% for spontaneous funding and the remaining annuals.
2. The CFB reserves the right to reverse the flat fee in the same manner that it was initiated.
  1. The JEC will be required to adhere to all language of the CFB contract or the CFB will exercise the process outlined in VII. B. of the CFB By-laws.
3. Additional Joint Events Council Requirements
  1. The CFB acknowledges that the JEC Representatives will serve as the auditors of the JEC. The JEC Representatives will remain the auditors until a time when a JEC Representative is found in financial violation of business account practices, and in any such case the board auditor will then take on the responsibility of signing all account expenditures for the JEC.
  2. The CFB requires that any amount that exceeds $2,000.00 for a transfer in any one account of the JEC to another will require the JEC to inform the CFB.
  3. The CFB will require an annual full year audit of financial spending to be submitted to the Chairs of the CFB.
  4. The CFB requires the JEC be responsible in adhering to all CFB guidelines when creating their budget. Failure to do so will result in the automatic reversal of the flat percentage.
  5. Failure by the JEC to adhere to any of the above listed guidelines will result in the automatic initiation of reversal of the flat fee.
    
    *The CFB recognizes that the JEC is the primary programming board to both the SJU and CSB campuses. In respect to that, the CFB evaluated and approved the 38.5% flat percentage of the Co-Funding Board portion of the student activity fee to the JEC. This 38.5% flat fee to the JEC in no way sets a precedent for other clubs to receive a flat fee. Although the CFB does recognize all clubs ability to request a flat percentage we maintain that the nature of the Joint Events Council allowed for such a measure to be taken.
Alleged violations of CFB policies and/or guidelines:
1. Any club found in violation of any CFB policy, guideline, or ruling will be subject to the following procedure:
  1. Group officers/representatives will be called upon to explain the violation.
  2. All club accounts, both allocated and generated, will be frozen until the problem is solved.
  3. Any misused funds, or funds used without the knowledge and approval of the CFB, will be repaid and reabsorbed.
  4. The group may be referred to the Joint Club Board/Department of Student Activities.
2. The following procedures will be used when a group incurs an outstanding debt:
  1. All debt issues will be subject to CFB review. However, if a debt greater than $1000 or a gross misuse of funds occurs, the CFB may withhold funding for up to one year.
  2. The accounts in question will be frozen until the problem is solved.
  3. The club officers/representatives will be called upon to explain the debt and create a plan of debt forgiveness (which may include plans for fundraising).
  4. If the problem is still unresolved, the groups could have all funding suspended for an amount of time deemed appropriate by the board.
  5. The group may be referred to the Joint Club Board/Department of Student Activities.
  6. Any other extenuating circumstances will be referred to the institution for institutional conduct analysis and possible legal action against responsible parties.
Appeals:
1. Any decision of the CFB may be appealed, in writing, to each full senate within a time period not to exceed two successive meetings of each respective Senate.
  1. The appeal must be sponsored by a member of that senate in the form of a motion.
  2. The Senator sponsoring the appeal, who cannot have membership within the club appealing, and a member of the appealing club, must notify the CFB co-chairs at least 24 hours before the meeting at which the appeal will occur. The club will be unable to appeal if the CFB co-chairs are not notified 24 hours in advance.
  3. The motion to appeal the CFB decision must be approved by a 2/3 vote.
  4. If it passes, a new allocation must be motioned.
  5. This motion to allocate must be approved by a majority vote.

The CFB reserves the right to change this document with a majority vote of the board, and adoption by the respective senates according to their constitutions. The CFB also reserves the right to make special considerations for proposals on a case by case basis as deemed necessary by the board. The CFB also defines reabsorption as a word used to describe how it takes back unused allocations.