Finance Committee Meeting — Minutes (10/20/26)

SGA Finance Committee Meeting Minutes

Date: Tuesday, October 20th, 2026, 5:45-6:45pm

Location: Shriver Board Room

Agenda Items

1. Senator concerns since Cornell admin meeting
   1. Greek organizations on probation: Beta Theta Pi (through calendar year) and Alpha Epsilon Pi (through AY), can these groups request funding?
   2. Not allowing greek funding bills through fast-forward (already in-place), concerns that greek orgs have lots of funds, SGA funding isn’t necessary, potentially requiring financial statements/audit for greek life.
   3. Should this be legislative (GBM-wide) or just finance committee?
   4. Additionally, ensure there’s no ongoing OIE cases?
2. Claw Backs: JHU Global Medical Missions Alliance, Shakti, BSU event grant spending
3. Noor appeal for $55 per person for costumes (or $47 standard, $83 for plus size)
4. Review event grants – reminder to allocate and click the allocated check mark in the excel
5. Notes on Finance committee powers (IA)
   1. We can unilaterally amend any funding bills
   2. We can table to a specific date, and table again on that date if so interested (including if a bill is against our guidelines). We can also table it and then give a negative recommendation, so on.
   3. New recommendation system: positive means pass without substantive changes, neutral means should pass with meaningful changes, negative means shouldn’t be passed without very significant changes
   4. No problem with using neutral recommendation if we want significant changes (IA)
6. SAAC Funding Bill https://docs.google.com/document/d/1D-u4OBUkLSSKot9AXDWhUNbo0kHACCbEOpBgfxtPq6s/edit?tab=t.0#heading=h.ri79ypnnr3uz
   1. After discussion with Sophia, she suggests tabling for two weeks while revisions are made
7. Academic Affairs Tabling Funding (fast-forward) https://docs.google.com/document/d/1HcfDMM65jamcSjHVDpjS9kbjgrVHh4rQpKFCKFCvGik/edit?tab=t.0#heading=h.hgyi4xm5y6u7

AX agenda addendum:

8. Zinda coming to FC to ask about reimbursement (with Crystal likely)
9. Introduce exec initiative — sustainable RSO funding (DAR/Philanthropy + resource guide, HopVan accessibility improvement)
10. Take Back the Night Funding Bill (planned for discharge today) --> https://docs.google.com/document/d/1sK0Q2N8sjJ-WJNFAgwaZHAtxAPUzyB2x5b36m3XP7qM/edit?tab=t.0

Amy is presenting this in GBM https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1YYvV_kE39tokG6b6hJakH_fDwXFHW6-Y6Poi45t_cwo/edit?usp=sharing

Meeting Notes:

• Clawbacks:
  • The fundraiser for JHU Global Medical Missions can’t be funded, and the speaker event should be funded through an event grant. Unanimous to retain speaker event funds but remove fundraiser funding.
  • Shakti flyers are over the cap, and subscriptions are against the guidelines. Merch is also over the cap. Unanimous to withdraw these categories.
  • Noor has appealed for costume funding by providing an estimate of $47 per person and $83 per person for plus-size. They aren’t an established competitive group but may be competing next semester. We will let them know that we will stick with $30 per person until we have more clear ideas of competition plans.
  • SNMA Pie event funding approved in Kai’s absence.
  • Noor at JHU has a Diwali rehearsal. Leggings will push them over the caps for costumes.
  • TEDxJHU is fine with food and decorations. Their gift for the speaker creates issues around income, so this funding is denied.
  • Japanese American Student Organization has a lack of details for their Tea Chat event. Funding has been held off on until more details are received.
  • Can Greek Organizations on probation receive funding? Greek Organizations currently aren’t going through Fast Forward. Some senators have requested that student-athletes and Greek organizations demonstrate financial need for SGA funding, given that they tend to have budgets of their own. Student-Athletic organizations get funding from the Dean of Students. Greek Orgs receive dues and pay a portion to the national chapter. They are not funded. The National branch has to approve funding. Crystal noted that most have their own bank accounts. Recommended to consider over next week; contact FSL treasurers.
  • Finance powers clarified:
    • Can unilaterally amend any funding bills
    • Can table to a specific date, then table again.
    • Negative means pass without substantive changes; neutral means pass with specific changes; negative means don’t pass without substantive changes
  • SAAC Funding Bill asked to be tabled for two weeks; tabled unanimously
  • Academic Affairs Tabling Funding passed with a positive recommendation.
  • Remaining event grants (save Japanese American Student Organization) approved.
  • By creating resources, Exec aims to streamline and make the funding process more accessible. Exec is also focusing on improving transportation. Finance can make HopVans more accessible. This includes contacting groups that have paid for HopVans with SGA funds.
  • For the Take Back The Night funding bill, it is ok to fund transportation of the speaker, since it functions as an all-inclusive.