ASWC voted unanimously during its Sunday, April 21, meeting to finalize its budget for the 2011 fiscal year, which totals $462,400. In addition to funding eight new campus clubs and organizations, the budget allocates more money to its Travel and Student Development Fund as well as to campus media groups.

Sophomore Finance Chair Matt Dittrich explained that in an effort to spend student fees more efficiently, the Finance Committee budgeted for 45 more students this year, or 1,445 students total, which makes available an additional $14,400 in funds. In past years, ASWC only budgeted for 1,400 students, but enrollment growth over the past five years has added more money in student fees, and that money was being placed in a discretionary fund.

Dittrich decided to move the student fees out of the discretionary fund so that the money would be available for direct allocation to campus clubs, organizations and other funds.

Based on the high number of requests students made to ASWC this year to fund travel and conference expenses, the Finance Committee decided to appropriate a large amount of the money made available from the additional student fees to the Travel and Conference Fund. The 2011 budget allocates $16,043 to the fund, a significant increase from the 2010 allocation of $9,473.

Students not only requested more money to cover travel expenses this year, but also requested funding for eight clubs and organizations on campus that are newly formed or have been granted club status this past year. ASWC granted a total of $4,340 to fund The Secession, Campus Climate Challenge, College Coaches, Dance, the Whitman Student Historical Society, Quiz Bowl, Slam Poetry and the Whitman Premedical Society.

Aikido, Baking Club, Juggling Club and the Peace Coalition did not request funding this year.

ASWC student fees will remain unchanged at $320 per student per year.