The Penn’s 2011-2012 budget approved

Following an appeal process, the Finance Committee of the Student Co-op approved The Penn's 2011-2012 budget.

The Penn's initial request was for $51,777. That budget included the salary of the director of student publications and marketing, Joe Lawley, who oversees The Penn's operations and also does marketing and other duties for the Co-op.

Dennis Hulings, executive director and CEO of the Co-op, suggested moving Lawley's salary of $47,000 from the budget of The Penn to the budget of the Co-op overall. Before the discussion of  The Penn's budget began during the meeting yesterday, Hulings noted that Lawley was the only full-time employee of the Co-op whose salary and benefits came out of their respective organization's budget.

Seventy-five percent of Lawley's salary came out of The Penn's budget with the other 25 percent coming from the Co-op. The Co-op will now cover all of Lawley's salary and benefits.

When the original budget was denied, the committee asked Lawley to present a better business plan for The Penn. That plan was previously deemed insufficient and was denied.

The appeal to that denial included another business plan, which reflected the salary switch. It also reflected a decrease in circulation from 6,000 to 5,000, and an increase in the number of advertising representatives.

With Lawley's salary transferred and other adjustments, The Penn's budget request was $4,779.

The committee approved this plan and budget unanimously. The Penn was also granted a one-time supplemental request of $15,589 for new computers.

The Penn was not the only organization to have its budget approved. Other organizations previously denied were IUP NAACP, African American Cultural Center and the IUP Anime Club. All of the organizations had their appeals heard and were granted their respective requests.