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Admin approves Student Events proposal
by Miranda Neubauer
Senior Writer
News | 11/20/07
Posted online at 3:31 PM EST on 11/29/07
/ Last updated at 1:20 AM EST on 11/29/07
Student Events' request to receive 17 percent of the Student Activities Fee directly from the Department of Student Activities, without going through the Student Union Finance Board, was approved by Senior Vice President for Students and Enrollment Jean Eddy last Monday.
Union officials denounced the administration's decision in a media information session last Wednesday night and vowed to fight it extensively. While the Union call Student Events' proposal unconstitutional and detrimental to the ideas of student autonomy and financial oversight, Student Events representatives say that bypassing the F-Board will allow them to react faster and more flexibly to student wishes.
The changes will be implemented this coming January for the start of next semester. Eddy declined to comment to the Justice on her decision as of press time.
The Student Activities Fee consists of one percent of each student's tuition bill. Last year, Student Union Officials said that the administration demarcated $105, 000 of that fund separately on the tuition bill as an Events Fee, even though it was still distributed by the F-Board with the rest of the SAF. According to the Union, the funding Student Events wanted to receive directly from Student Activities corresponds to that demarcation, which comprises 17 percent of the SAF.
The Union Senate passed a unanimous resolution opposing the decision at its Nov. 18 meeting, arguing that Student Events violated the Union Constitution by submitting its proposal to the administration instead of changing the constitution through a student vote.
Eddy wrote in a letter to the Union last Monday that she approved Student Events' proposal because of her concern about the state of social life at Brandeis. "Student Events, more than any other single student organization, is expected to provide the essential elements of the social life on this campus," she wrote. "[O]ur current model … is the least successful in providing a vibrant and multifaceted social life for everyone."
Union officials denounced the administration's decision in a media information session last Wednesday night and vowed to fight it extensively. While the Union call Student Events' proposal unconstitutional and detrimental to the ideas of student autonomy and financial oversight, Student Events representatives say that bypassing the F-Board will allow them to react faster and more flexibly to student wishes.
The changes will be implemented this coming January for the start of next semester. Eddy declined to comment to the Justice on her decision as of press time.
The Student Activities Fee consists of one percent of each student's tuition bill. Last year, Student Union Officials said that the administration demarcated $105, 000 of that fund separately on the tuition bill as an Events Fee, even though it was still distributed by the F-Board with the rest of the SAF. According to the Union, the funding Student Events wanted to receive directly from Student Activities corresponds to that demarcation, which comprises 17 percent of the SAF.
The Union Senate passed a unanimous resolution opposing the decision at its Nov. 18 meeting, arguing that Student Events violated the Union Constitution by submitting its proposal to the administration instead of changing the constitution through a student vote.
Eddy wrote in a letter to the Union last Monday that she approved Student Events' proposal because of her concern about the state of social life at Brandeis. "Student Events, more than any other single student organization, is expected to provide the essential elements of the social life on this campus," she wrote. "[O]ur current model … is the least successful in providing a vibrant and multifaceted social life for everyone."
Viewing Comments 1 - 3 of 3
WK'06
posted 11/29/07 @ 4:25 PM EST
This is outrageous.
Grimes, you can ensure that Student Events gets student input by having them funded through the F-board.
I can't even begin to see the administration's logic here. (Continued…)
Outraged
posted 11/29/07 @ 5:55 PM EST
Stephanie Grimes ought to be ashamed of herself. As a student advisor it is her responsibility to advise students how to effect positive change within the system of rules and laws that they exist in. (Continued…)
angry alum
posted 12/05/07 @ 6:30 AM EST
There are some simple steps students can take to affect change on this issue.
1. write letters to jean eddy, stef grimes and jehuda reinharz expressing your outrage on this situation
2. (Continued…)
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