MSS Budget Policy

Last amended January 14, 2025

Article I – MSS Financial Accounts

Section i. Allocated

1. The Allocated account is an MSS-controlled financial account that receives all EUSOM’s Student Activity Fees (SAF), which is established by the Graduate Student Government Association (GSGA) for students and granted by MSS. 

2. As of the 2024-2025 fiscal year, these funds do not rollover on an annual basis if the contingency balance is at the $50,000 cap, per Student Government Services (SGS) policy. 

3. Any unspent funds remaining in the allocated account at the end of the fiscal year, which runs September 1–August 31, will be forfeited, including funds that have previously been distributed to medical school organizations

4. Funds in the Allocated account shall be budgeted for

   1. 1. Operational Budget and Durable Equipment Requests, as outlined in Article III

      2. Funding Requests, as outlined in Article IV

Section ii. Self-Generated

1. The Self-Generated account is an MSS-controlled financial account that receives non-SAF funds (i.e., membership dues, grants, ticket revenue, donations, etc.)

2. While funding in self-generated accounts rollover on a yearly basis, self-generated accounts are NOT savings accounts. Per SGS policy, the SGA Business Office will automatically transfer funds from self-generated accounts that have been inactive for more than two (2) years to the MSS Contingency account. 

3. Funds in the Self-Generated account shall be budgeted according to the discretion of the current MSS members. 

Section iii. Contingency

1. The Contingency account is an MSS-controlled financial account that receives SAF funds that were unused from the past fiscal year (i.e., rollover from organization allocated accounts, etc.). 

2. All funds that are not used from the prior year in all allocated MSS and organization accounts are returned to the MSS Contingency account on September 1st of every year. 

3. The Funds in the Contingency account will be budgeted for

   1. 1. Unforeseen circumstances

      2. New initiatives and events

      3. Unexpected emergency funds to cover expenses encountered by MSS

4. Starting in the 2024-2025 fiscal year, SGS will cap the amount of funds in the contingency at $50,000. Any funds in excess of the $50,000 will go to SGS. 

Article II – Duties of the MSS Treasurer

Section i. Definition

1. The MSS Treasurer shall be the Chief Financial Officer of MSS, with duties and powers to oversee all financial accounts of MSS, act as the principal financial advisor to MSS, and oversee the treasurers of student organizations chartered under MSS. 

2. The Treasurer shall also be the Graduate Divisional Treasurer of MSS and serve on the Finance Committee of the GSGA, as stated in GSGA Financial Bylaws. 

Section ii. Responsibilities 

1. Manage all financial accounts of MSS

2. Ensure fiscal responsibility within MSS, including all affiliated student groups

   1. 1. MSS Treasurer may access the account ledgers of student groups within their division at the SGA/GSGA Business Office at any time

      2. MSS Treasurer must review the account ledgers of student groups within their division that are seeking divisional supplemental funding

3. Serve as the chair of MSS Finance Committee

4. Serve as a voting member on the GSGA Finance Committee as defined by the Finance Committee Bylaws

5. Attend all mandatory treasurer trainings sponsored by the GSGA

   1. 1. In the event the divisional treasurer neglects to attend a mandatory GSGA treasurer training and does not receive prior explicit authorization from the GSGA VP of Finance, the divisional treasurer in question relinquishes the right to access funds in their division’s financial accounts until the GSGA VP of Finance or the SGA/GSGA Business Office deems the divisional treasurer’s training as adequate

6. Ensure a smooth transition at the end of their term by going through the transition plan with the incoming MSS Treasurer

7. Review and approve all financial documents, including but not limited to relines, internal transfers, and reimbursement and payment requests, that occur within their division throughout the fiscal year.

8. For a full list of responsibilities, see the GSGA Financial Bylaws

Article III – Operational Budget and Durable Equipment Requests

Section i. Eligibility 

1. Only organizations with a funding charter form and are designated as Active Status (i.e., they have hosted events during the previous school year) by MSS and SGS are eligible to participate in Operational Budget and Durable Equipment Requests.

Section ii. Guidelines 

1. Operational Budget

   1. 1. The Operational Budget of an organization is defined as the funds used to operate during the following fiscal year. 

      2. There is no limit to an Operational Budget Proposal. However, in the interest of financial responsibility, Operational Budget proposals exceeding $300 will not be approved without discussion and individual vote by the General Assembly. 

      3. The budgets for class governments will be proposed by Presidents of each class and the MSS Treasurer in a process that is separate from the Operational Budget Request process. They will not be subject to the $300 limit.

2. Durable Equipment

   1. 1. Durable Equipment is defined as material goods expected to last longer than 4 years and/or will not require additional MSS funding for at least 4 years.

      2. There is no limit to Durable Equipment Proposals. However, in the interest of financial responsibility, student organizations are expected to request the minimum amount required to achieve their desired outcome.

Section iii. Proposals

1. Operational Budget

   1. 1. The MSS Treasurer will complete the process of gathering Operational Budget proposals in a timely manner to ensure that there is no gap in funding for organizations from one fiscal year into another, traditionally in February or March.

      2. Operational Budget proposals will be formally submitted through

         1. 1. The Hub, the university’s designated software for student organizations.

            2. A Google Form that goes directly to the MSS Treasurer

      3. Any student group requesting funds for an Organizational Budget must present a detailed plan that includes

         1. 1. Previous year’s budget proposal, if applicable

            2. Previous year’s expenses, if applicable

            3. Projected costs for the upcoming year, with line-by-line breakdown for each cost

            4. Contact information of organization member who submitted request

      4. Requests that do not meet submission criteria will not be considered.

2. Durable Equipment

   1. 1. The MSS Treasurer will complete the process of gathering Durable Equipment proposals in a timely manner to ensure that there is no gap in funding for organizations from one fiscal year into another, traditionally in February or March.

      2. Durable Equipment proposals will be formally submitted through

         1. 1. A Google Form that goes directly to the MSS Treasurer

      3. Any student group requesting funds for Durable Equipment must present a detailed plan that includes

         1. 1. Estimated life span

            2. Theft prevention plan

            3. Individual directly responsible for the equipment

            4. Anticipated associated maintenance costs

            5. Storage plan

            6. Contact information of organization member who submitted request

      4. Requests that do not meet submission criteria will not be considered.

Section iv. Hearings and Review

1. MSS shall assess eligible requests for both Operational Budgets and Durable Equipment through hearings, such that

   1. 1. They will be organized and facilitated by the MSS Treasurer and, as needed, the Finance Committee

      2. They will be attended by 

         1. 1. At least one M3 or M4 MSS senator, who will coordinate the meeting times and venues (preferably via Zoom)

            2. At least one M1 or M2 MSS senator

            3. The member of the student organization who submitted the budget request. If this member is not available, it is preferable to have the meeting rescheduled, but another member of the student organization may attend in an emergency.

      3. They will consist of MSS members asking questions to the student organization about the nature of the purchase, ensuring that the proposal is well developed, reasonable, and has benefit to the students of EUSOM

      4. They will result in the M3/M4 and M1/M2 MSS Senators providing a recommendation for MSS to either 1) fully accept the proposal; 2) fully reject the proposal; or 3) raise the proposal for review. These recommendations will be sent to the MSS President(s) and MSS Treasurer by the M3 or M4 MSS Senator by 11:59 PM on the day of the budget hearing.

2. The MSS President(s) and MSS Treasurer will review recommendations from each hearing and compile an omnibus bill, or a document, composed of all Operational Budget and Durable Equipment proposals for the year that are deemed to not require open discussion at the MSS budgeting meeting, on which we will have a single vote. 

   1. 1. The omnibus bill must not contain budget proposals over $300.

      2. The MSS President(s) and Treasurer have the discretion to modify budget proposals.

      3. The omnibus bill will be distributed to the General Assembly before the budget meeting. 

Section v. Annual Budgeting Meeting

1. The General Assembly will meet to vote to approve or deny Operational Budget and Durable Equipment proposals at the Annual Budgeting Meeting.

   1. 1. The omnibus bill will be discussed and voted on. The General Assembly may propose to remove an organization’s budget proposal from the omnibus bill during the meeting. A simple majority is required to approve the omnibus bill.

      2. Operational Budget proposals not included in the omnibus bill will be separately discussed and voted on. The General Assembly may propose new budgets in place of the original budgets, per Robert’s Rules of Order. A simple majority is required to approve individual Operational Budget proposals.

      3. All decisions made by MSS regarding Operational Budget and Durable Equipment proposals are final, and there is no appeal process.

Section vi. Disbursement of Funds

1. Student organizations will be informed by the MSS Treasurer, however they see fit, of the status of their funding request no more than 1 week after the Annual Budgeting Meeting.

2. The MSS Treasurer will coordinate with SGS and all other necessary Emory University offices and authorities to ensure that funds are apportioned appropriately.

3. No funds may be distributed within two weeks of the end of any fiscal year (August 31) as per SGS policy, rendering accounts functionally frozen. In other words, it is unlikely that funds spent after mid-August will be able to be reimbursed. As such, it is the duty of each medical school organization’s leadership and MSS Treasurer to ensure all funds have been appropriately spent. 

Article IV – Funding Requests

Section i. Eligibility

1. Any student organization, regardless of the existence of a charter or active/inactive status, are eligible to submit Funding Requests for any upcoming medical-school wide events.

Section ii. Guidelines

1. Funding Requests are defined as applications made to MSS to enhance an organization’s funding. 

   1. 1. If the organization is chartered, it is a request made beyond the amount apportioned at the Annual Budgeting Meeting to their Allocated account. 

      2. If an organization is not chartered, it is a request made to support their development.

2. Unlike the Organizational Budget and Durable Equipment proposals, Funding Requests are typically reviewed monthly at each MSS meeting and are designed for flexible distribution of additional MSS funds.

Section iii. Restrictions on Funding

1. All Funding Requests must comply with SGS policy, found on the Canvas SGS page, which is updated annually. It is the responsibility of the organization submitting the Funding Request Form to ensure that their request aligns with these policies, as they may not be reimbursed if it does not. Some of those policies include:

   1. 1. Reimbursement forms must be completed within ten days of purchase. All receipts should be itemized, containing the items purchased, vendor name, date of purchase, purchase total and your method of payment or proof of purchase. If proof of purchase is not clear on your receipt OR a customer name is listed on the receipt that does not match the reimbursee, a bank statement showing the transaction is required.

      2. You will not receive reimbursement if you pay out of pocket for professional services, merchandise, or gas for personal vehicles – all of which have a separate payment process. You will not receive reimbursement for payments completed through money-transferring services (Venmo, Zelle, Cashapp, etc.), gift cards, or personal points/credits.

      3. Raffles are illegal in Georgia. However, giveaways are permissible. Everyone in attendance must have an equal chance to win regardless of completing a task for entry (such as a survey). This means that you can request that a task be completed but the individual must have a chance to win even if they choose not to complete the task. 

      4. Gifts should only be purchased using a self-generated speedtype. You cannot purchase gifts using an allocated speedtype.

2. For a Funding Request that is designated for an event or program to be considered, it must be a “medical-school-wide program or event,” such that:

   1. 1. The program or event is open to all Emory medical students currently paying SAF

      2. The program or event funded by MSS is advertised either through the MSS Weekly Activity Email or through the school-wide listserv, all-md-talk@listserv.cc.emory.edu.

      3. If the program or event is a collaboration with or invites individuals from a non-EUSOM group or institution (e.g., a residency program, another medical school, a community organization), all collaborating groups and institutions must be asked to provide support, though it is ultimately not necessary for them to provide support

3. MSS shall consider any request without financial restriction. However, the body may vote to amend the proposed amount during the MSS meeting where the request is considered, in discussion with the proposing organization. Given that MSS has a finite budget, this policy ensures that student organizations comply with SGS policy and receive parity from a frequently changing MSS General Assembly. Some norms of standard event funding include:

   1. 1. $150 for lunchtime talks

      2. $200 for dinnertime talks

4. MSS typically will only hear proposals from student organizations that do not have any funds, either because they spent any funds given to them or because they have never received funding. However, if a organization requests funding while they still have funds left in their allocated account, MSS will only consider the request if they have an established unique program or event (i.e., one that is notable for that group and has happened at least twice in the past 3 years) that will happen within the fiscal year and they recently decided to hold another event in the interim and will need additional funds for that new event).

5. SGS historically has not allowed for reimbursements for events that happen between the end of the fiscal year, typically in mid-August, to the start of the new fiscal year, typically at the start of September. To avoid confusion for students, MSS will not fund events for reimbursement that are set to occur during this time period and will warn students of this policy in advance. 

Section iv. Proposals

1. Funding Requests will be formally submitted through the Funding Request Form, which can be found on the official MSS website. All fields must be completed for the request to be valid.

2. Before Funding Requests are submitted, a representative from the organization must speak with an MSS member to screen the proposal for any irregularities, and, if necessary, provide feedback.

3. Funding Requests must be made before the next MSS meeting by a certain date and time specified in an email sent to the all-talk listserv by the MSS Secretary (typically the Friday before a Tuesday meeting). If requests are made after that date and time, they will be considered at the following month’s MSS meeting, unless the MSS Treasurer allows for an exception.

4. Any student group requesting funds must present a detailed plan that includes

   1. 1. The total amount of the Funding Request

      2. A line-by-line breakdown of how the funds in the Funding Request would be spent

      3. The requesting organization’s allocated budget, which was determined at the previous Annual Budgeting Meeting, if applicable

      4. How much of the requesting organization’s allocated budget is spent and what is remaining, if applicable

5. All funding requests presented at MSS meetings must occur before any funds are spent. Retroactive funding requests will not be considered.

6. An emergency funding request may be made by sending a request to the MSS Treasurer. The MSS Treasurer may decide to bring the request to a vote for the MSS General Assembly, preferably at an MSS meeting. However, other forms of communication for a vote through the MSS General Assembly, such as email, can be used if the request is time sensitive. In an email vote, there must be 51% of body participation for the vote to count.

Section v. Hearings and Review

1. MSS shall assess eligible Funding Requests at each monthly MSS meeting.

2. A representative from the requesting organization will be given an opportunity to present their request, and MSS will be given the opportunity to ask questions to the representative from the requesting organization.

   1. 1. An MSS member is allowed to represent a requesting organization. However, if they act as the requesting organization’s representative, they will not be allowed to vote on the measure.

3. Any motions made by MSS members regarding the Funding Request will follow Robert’s Rules of Order.

4. A vote will be taken on each Funding Request, with a majority needed for the Funding Request to pass. Organizations are informed of the result of the vote at the meeting.

Section vi. Disbursement of Funds

1. The MSS Treasurer will coordinate with SGS and all other necessary Emory University offices and authorities to ensure that funds are apportioned appropriately.

2. All decisions made by MSS regarding Funding Requests are final, and there is no appeal process.

3. No funds may be distributed within two weeks of the end of any fiscal year (August 31) as per SGS policy, rendering accounts functionally frozen. In other words, it is unlikely that funds spent after mid-August will be able to be reimbursed. As such, it is the duty of each medical school organization’s leadership and MSS Treasurer to ensure all funds have been appropriately spent. Operations will resume at the beginning of the new fiscal year (September 1).