Spring Break
Union calls for rejection of proposal
by Miranda Neubauer
Senior Writer
News | 11/20/07
Posted online at 9:46 PM EST on 11/19/07
/ Last updated at 3:31 PM EST on 11/19/07
The Union Senate passed a unanimous resolution last Sunday calling on the administration to deny Student Events' request to receive 17 percent of the Student Activities Fee directly instead of through the Finance Board.
The Union called Student Events' move unconstitutional and detrimental to the ideas of student autonomy and financial oversight. Student Events argues that by controlling its funds and bypassing the F-Board, it could respond faster and more effectively to student wishes. While the club went directly to Senior Vice President for Students and Enrollment Jean Eddy with its proposal, the Union has argued that a constitutional amendment is necessary for the changes to take place.
The resolution states that "Student Events will no longer be considered a student organization as it will be a committee under the administration without student autonomy if the proposal is accepted," and that "no Student Activities Fee funds will be allocated from the Finance Board towards Student Events if this proposal is not rejected."
Director of Student Events Lauren Barish '08 said that campus social life would improve as a result of the original proposal. She explained that in Student Events' proposal, they had envisioned receiving F-Board funding in addition to direct funding from the SAF. "Even though we would have control over the majority of our budget, we would also work with F-Board … to get additional funding to go above and beyond what the Student Event Fee grants us," she said.
Barish said that one way to make the club's proposed change is through the administration, and for this reason, "we are following a completely legitimate process."
She said Student Events could not be denied funding because, "as a secured organization, we have the right to go to F-Board."
From the Union's perspective, Student Events' request stems from a change made last year on students' tuition bill marking off $100,000 called the Events Fee, which Union members said the administration told them is for presentation purposes. This money becomes part of the Student Activities Fee distributed by the F-Board, Union Treasurer Choon Woo Ha '08 said. The change "does not mean money for Student Events," Ha said.
The Union called Student Events' move unconstitutional and detrimental to the ideas of student autonomy and financial oversight. Student Events argues that by controlling its funds and bypassing the F-Board, it could respond faster and more effectively to student wishes. While the club went directly to Senior Vice President for Students and Enrollment Jean Eddy with its proposal, the Union has argued that a constitutional amendment is necessary for the changes to take place.
The resolution states that "Student Events will no longer be considered a student organization as it will be a committee under the administration without student autonomy if the proposal is accepted," and that "no Student Activities Fee funds will be allocated from the Finance Board towards Student Events if this proposal is not rejected."
Director of Student Events Lauren Barish '08 said that campus social life would improve as a result of the original proposal. She explained that in Student Events' proposal, they had envisioned receiving F-Board funding in addition to direct funding from the SAF. "Even though we would have control over the majority of our budget, we would also work with F-Board … to get additional funding to go above and beyond what the Student Event Fee grants us," she said.
Barish said that one way to make the club's proposed change is through the administration, and for this reason, "we are following a completely legitimate process."
She said Student Events could not be denied funding because, "as a secured organization, we have the right to go to F-Board."
From the Union's perspective, Student Events' request stems from a change made last year on students' tuition bill marking off $100,000 called the Events Fee, which Union members said the administration told them is for presentation purposes. This money becomes part of the Student Activities Fee distributed by the F-Board, Union Treasurer Choon Woo Ha '08 said. The change "does not mean money for Student Events," Ha said.
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