Fischer Schluessler / The Avion
Junior, BS Aerospace Engineering
"My name is Angelina Buysse, and I am a junior studying Aerospace Engineering with a concentration in Astronautics and minoring in Computer Science and Computational Mathematics. I am a current Treasury Board Member and am rerunning for this position to continue making a positive impact on the student body, supporting our diverse student organizations, and ensuring the proper allocation of the SGA budget. The current Treasury Board made history with the highest collections rating in history of 91.05%, which perfectly sums up all the hard work, dedication, and improvements our team has made this year. The current board has been working towards revolutionary ideas to reshape the distribution of the SGA budget to eliminate the volatility occurring today. Going into next year, I will carry on these new concepts and continue to grow this project with the board while supporting all in this transition."
What makes you a qualified candidate for this position?
"I was the treasurer for my high school class of over 800 students for all four years, which is why I was originally chosen for my Treasury Board position. I dealt with multiple high-budget events, planned many fundraisers, and worked with advisors to ensure our money was well spent.
I am currently a Treasury Board member and learned the vital qualities a candidate must possess, including leadership, dependability, and confidence. I gained valuable leadership skills through my current position in the Student Government Association (SGA), especially through my individual responsibility as the Treasury Board's event organizer and social media manager. I planned our entire Forum and Townhall which included communicating with vendors, designing merchandise, and purchasing the aforementioned items/services. I strive to keep the student body up to date on important events through our Instagram account, which has seen a rapid increase in accounts reached. The Treasury Board works as a well-oiled machine which is why individual board members must be dependable and trustful.
As a current member, I attend every weekly Treasury Board meeting, I am in the Treasury Board office beyond my office hours, and I always finish any project or related work I am assigned. It is even more essential to be dependable to the organizations and divisions through proper communication, which has become more accessible than ever with the introduction of the Treasury Discord Channel. I have the confidence to learn new things, voice my opinions to the board, and advocate for the organizations and divisions that deserve it. I am qualified for this position due to my experience and the necessary qualities I possess to thrive in this role."
What is the purpose of the Student Treasury?
"The purpose of the Student Treasury is to properly distribute and allocate the funds provided by the Student Government Association (SGA) fee. To ensure a fair and just process, the board follows the Student Treasury Bylaws and Budget Guidelines when making decisions for Registered Student Organizations (RSOs). The Budget Guidelines outline the necessary steps RSOs must take to receive funding each semester, which includes RSO allocation training, a completed and submitted budget packet and all approvals completed by the due date set by the board each semester. For this process, each member of the board represents certain categories of RSOs and acts as a liaison between them and the SGA. The board member's job is to guarantee proper communication to understand each organization's needs, perspectives, questions, or concerns. Proper communication also relates to the necessary transparency of the Treasury Board, such as explaining to the student body why certain decisions are made, why specific processes are structured, and why it is important to uphold the Budget Guidelines put in place.
Additionally, the Treasury Board has the authority to add restrictions, limits on expensive items, new rules on quantities, or deny items that do not align with the organization's mission statement. It is up to the board's discretion to create thresholds for increases, freezes, and decreases based on the average RSO collection rating from the previous semester. While this process for RSOs is most familiar and impacts most of the student body, the Treasury Board is also responsible for the Professional Development Fund, Capital Expenditures, the Amazon Purchasing Program, and allocating funding to the divisions and branches of the SGA."
How would you define risk management, and how would you relate this skill to your position as Student Treasury Board Member?
"Risk management is the identification, assessment, prioritization, and control of risks. Many methods are used to minimize the impact of risk, including assessing risk probability ahead of time, learning from past circumstances, and recognizing effective mitigation techniques. The Treasury Board constantly uses risk management skills when making any decision that impacts an RSO or a division. When going through the budget packets, I ensure that decisions made are consistent across all budget packets and can be justified to any concerned individual. One example of possible risk is when an RSO is unsatisfied with their allocation amount. One technique to manage a frustrated RSO officer is being able to stay calm, positive, and informative. I would explain the set of conditions that lead to our decision, such as their collections history, lack of approvals, or lack of trainings. I would suggest ways they can either improve their situation today or work on ways to get sufficient funds for the future based on their situation.
This semester, the Treasury Board was tasked with managing the risk of over allocating the RSO budget since most organizations had over a 90% collections rating. The board was able to quantitatively analyze the potential allocations for each organization and deduce sufficient thresholds for increases, freezes, and decreases based on the average RSO collection rating. We were able to accurately estimate the potential allocations by 99.81% and did not exceed the RSO budget by assessing the risk beforehand. Risk management is a vital skill to possess, and with my experience on the board, I can minimize the impact of risk effectively."
How do you plan to ensure the organizations you represent receive the funding they need without putting others at a disadvantage?
"To ensure that all organizations receive the funding they deserve without putting others at a disadvantage, a transparent and fair process needs to be followed. For me, this means following the Budget Guidelines that are available to view for the entire student body, which outlines the whole funding request process for RSOs. To be transparent, ethical, and impartial when making decisions, the Treasury Board displays our established restrictions and allocation criteria in the Budget Guidelines. I would also ensure that each board member, including myself, is held accountable for decisions made and that personal connections do not take part in the process. For the personal preference of a board member to not interfere with the allocation of funds, it has been and will continue to be customary for the involved board member to step out of the room when their organization's budget packet is being discussed and voted on. Every semester, new restrictions or rules occur when individuals request items that have never been seen before and are not explicitly stated in the Budget Guidelines. I believe it is important to voice these new restrictions, limits, or acceptable items to level the playing field for all organizations. It is also important to note that some organizations may be able to purchase certain items that other organizations may not be able to, depending on whether the items align with the organization's mission statement. I would encourage all organizations to approach the Student Treasury Board office to discuss if an organization is being put at a disadvantage so that it can be investigated and eliminated."
