About SA

Student Groups

Event Planning

Assembly Committees

Student Assembly Finance & Appropriations

On this page you will find:

1. Funding & Appropriations Committee meeting dates
2. Student Group Funding 101 (an overview)
3. Downloadable Forms
4. Downloadable instructions for funding & reimbursements
5. Contacts
6. Frequently asked questions
   > Administrative funds
   > Funding of group trips

See below for event funding application deadlines and meeting dates.

F&A Committee meeting dates

Next meeting is September 4th, 2007

Applications are due by 6:00pm on the appointed dates.

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:: Downloadable Forms ::

SA Event Funding Application

Budget Action Form

Event Follow-up Form


:: Instruction Pages ::

Short event approval overview [pdf]

Event Planning [pdf] [html]

Funding & Reimbursement Guidelines [pdf]

Full Student Group Guide
[pdf]

:: We want your feedback! ::
E-mail the F&A committee to let us know how we're doing, what could be done better, or what questions you have. 

Student Group Funding 101

The top 8 things to know:

1. Only recognized student groups in good standing may apply for or spend Student Assembly Event funds. To be in good standing, officer Treasurers and Presidents must check e-mail, respond to the Assembly VP for Student Groups and the Treasurer promptly, and follow funding guidelines.
2. Funds are only available for events that are open to and primarily for all JHSPH students.
3. START EARLY if you plan to apply for funds for your event. If you are within 3 weeks of your event, you're probably too late to start the process.
4. Once granted funds, make sure to submit all forms and paperwork promptly - failure to do so could reduce the amount of funds you are able to receive in the future (have at least 1 person keeping track of and double-checking all of your paperwork).
   
   
   
   Event Approval Process Flow Chart .ppt (with links)
   
   
5. Make sure at all times that you never spend more than you have in your account or more than you were approved for through Assembly funding - if you overspend, your group will lose funding in the future and could even have its official status revoked.
6. To efficiently review your funding applications and get you funded, the Assembly uses a line-item approach to funding. This means you will have to submit an itemized budget ($xx.xx for food, $xx.xx for decorations, etc). Keeping your line item requests under the Assembly guidelines will increase your likelihood of getting funding.
7. The Student Assembly will never, and we repeat never, grant funds for an event that has already occurred. Do NOT spend money you don't have and then expect reimbursement from SA funds. We can not do that, and will not. You will be stuck with the bill.
8. If ever in doubt about anything, first skim through the guidelines (because the answer is probably there). We have spent time writing up the guidelines and instruction sheets to help you out - please use them. If you still can't find the answer, then ask the VP Student Groups or the Treasurer. But we kindly ask that you minimize the time we spend answering the same questions over and over again by seeking the answers on the materials provided on this site as a first resource.

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Contacts

Student Assembly Treasurer: satreas@jhsph.edu 
(for all questions regarding funding or reimbursements)

Student Assembly VP for Student Groups: sastdgrp@jhsph.edu
(for any question related to your student group)

Finance & Appropriations Committee Members

Your Department Representative to the Assembly (find the list here)

Alumni Association Liaison
(for information on Alumni Association Student Event Funding)

Student Affairs Director of Operations, Steve Bazzetta
(For questions that you couldn't get answered by The SA Treasurer)

Dean Michael Ward's Assistant,
(for event approval information or to discuss getting a vendor contract signed)

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Q. What are administrative funds, and how does my group use this resource?

A.  The Student Assembly puts aside a small amount of funds for each student group each year.  For 2006-2007, it amounts to $150 per group.  Groups are free to spend this money in any way that they choose, but the intention is to provide funds for groups to spend for the benefit of group members only.  This may be food at meetings, a group planning retreat, give-aways for the group table during orientation fairs or events, or other such purchases. 

Groups spend administrative funds in the same way that they spend Assembly funds that they are granted for an event.  Fill out a BAF and e-mail it to satreas@jhsph.edu.  Use a separate BAF for each item purchased.  Submit all receipts to the Student Assembly drop-box in E1002, Student Affairs (the drop box is at the back right side of the front desk). 

Make sure that you do not spend more than $150.  If you go over, your group will receive penalty 'flags' that will reduce the amount of funds you may receive from Student Assembly in the future. 

Q.  Our group would like to send some members to New York/Spain/Geneva/wherever for a conference/event/advocacy opportunity/etc.  How do we get it funded?  Will Assembly fund this trip?

A.  The Student Assembly sometimes helps fund trips for students.  This funding is limited to a portion of bus costs and a small food allowance per day.  Funding will only be granted if the event is open to all students, and advertised well at the School (so everyone has ample opportunity to participate).  Plane tickets, hotels, admission costs, etc. are never paid for by Assembly, and groups must cover the remaining cost of the bus and food through ticket sales or through some other funding source.  Refer to the SA funding by-laws for more information on what is covered.

We have had frequent problems in the past where groups received funding for trips and then failed to advertise the trip on activities-l or failed to make it clear where and when students from outside of the group could purchase tickets.  The result has been penalty flags and reduced funding for those groups, which is no fun for either the group or the Student Assembly.  Make sure that your event is one that is truly open to everyone before you apply, and be aware that fliers are not enough for advertisements - you must post the event to activities-l with a clear description of how other students can be involved.

In general, Student Assembly has a limited amount of funds for a large number of students and student groups.  Expensive trips that involve few students are not considered the best use of our funding.  You will likely have to seek out other avenues of funding for group trips.

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