Hey everyone! My name’s Michael and I’m running to be your next Director of Finance.
With this year’s introduction of the levy, we over budget for new costs like insurance. This leaves us with a surplus of funds to act as a buffer that we can maintain year over year, helping to ensure the long term stability of the society. With this year’s costs in mind, going forward, we can allocate more to initiatives that benefit each and every one of you.
With increased funding, we can host larger, more exciting events. Additionally, it’s no secret that the word “free” could make university students scale mountains. That’s why every CCSS event offers free food, ranging from snacks and coffee, to pizza, to veggie and fruit platters.
If elected, I will ensure that our budget is revised to better support large events like company networking events and hackathons through increased funding for food, prizes, and whatever else may be required.
Computer Science is a wide field, with many clubs catering to particular specializations. Some of these you may recognize include the Carleton Cybersecurity Club, the Carleton Game Development Club, Carleton Blueprint, and the Carleton AI Society. These clubs are extremely valuable to our community, but don’t have access to all the funding opportunities available to the CCSS.
If elected, I will introduce a formal process through which clubs serving Computer Science and Cybersecurity students can apply to receive funding for events and initiatives, enabling them to better support the CS community.
The lounge is a space that has long served our community, providing a space to relax, work, chat, or even just microwave your lunch.
If elected, I will continue to support the lounge through practical investment in the areas that will have the greatest impact on student enjoyment of the space, like better tables and seating. Of course, I will seek feedback on the current space from students, especially those who are regulars around the lounge, to ensure the needs of the community are met.
This year, the CCSS has been hard at work trying to release new official merchandise. They are off to a good start having already released a variety of new, student-designed stickers.
If elected, I will work to release new, student-designed, high quality clothing that you can feel proud to wear.
The CCSS receives our funding primarily from you, the students. For that reason, it is crucial that we are transparent with our use of funds so that we may be held accountable. The processes surrounding budgeting and financial transparency have long been janky and inconsistent.
If elected, I will strive to introduce new processes that reduce management overhead and improve transparency. I will implement reasonable deadlines for publishing the budget publicly online after the Fall and Winter general meetings. Additionally, to improve transparency and accountability, I will make available online all historical budgets.
