E-Board Report
Vice President of Finance
January 29, 2014
Graduate Student Government Senate,
With transparency and accountability in mind, it is with great pleasure that I update
the Senate about my various activities, accomplishments, and on-going efforts over
the past month.
A large portion of my time over the past month has been dedicated to processing
individual conference funding applications and reimbursements. Specifically, I have
approved over 35 conference goers for reimbursement, totaling nearly $10,000.
Additionally, I have approved approximately 100 applications for funding period V,
totaling over $28,500 in awards.
In an effort to leverage the resources available to GSG and maximize the impact of
my efforts, I have established a regular meeting schedule with our Center for
Student Involvement Advisor, Steph Pierce, and with the GSG Budget Advisor, Jenny
Muschinske. I have met with them four times collectively over the past month and
have explored topics such as Orgsync, the annual budget, and Finance Committee.
On my own accord I have taken the liberty of reviewing the group funding policies
and the individual funding policies. I have shared my recommendations for revision
with our Advisors, the GSG President, the Executive Board, and the Finance
Committee. I am optimistic that a final resolution can be made in time to implement
any changes in time for next academic year. Furthermore, I have drafted legislation
to reallocate organizational funds to better support recognition and retention of our
committees. This proposal has been shared with the GSG President and Advisors.
During the month of January, I attended the spring GSG retreat and participated in
my first executive board meeting. I am happy to say, the Finance Committee has
been developing and has met twice this month. Although it was in December, I also
participated in a transitional meeting with my predecessor to learn more about the
duties and responsibilities of my role.
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Lastly, my primary focus going into February is crafting and submitting the fiscal
year 2015 budget for the Senate’s consideration. I have already begun drafting the
proposal and aim to have it submitted to the Senate by the last meeting in February,
with a vote in early March.
In closing, I hope you find this report informative. Should you have any questions or
concerns regarding my on-going work, please do not hesitate to contact me. I look
forward to the exciting semester ahead of us.
Respectfully submitted,
Jonathan Whitson
Vice President of Finance
Graduate Student Government
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