The following is a Letter to the Editor for the Opinions section.
To the DU Chancellor and Administration,
We, the leaders and members of the student organizations at DU, are frustrated and disappointed in the policies, management and oversight of student organizations this past school year. This has culminated in difficulties and frustration in our ability to operate and have positive impact at DU and in the greater community.
Student organization financial policies are being inconsistently administered and do not align with the University’s financial policies. Student organization members have to wait six weeks for reimbursements; which has placed an unjust financial strain on students. There are difficulties accessing purchasing cards, of which there are very few available for student organizations to utilize. Further, disorganization of the Student Organizations’ Comptroller office has lead to large gaps in updated account balances, lost forms and receipts and difficulty obtaining consistent access to funds.
We also feel that the Undergraduate Student Government policy to disallow graduate students to be full members of student organizations does not align with the University’s values of inclusive excellence and further perpetuates othering of undergraduate and graduate student populations.
The lack of action in addressing these and many other issues and concerns as they are brought forward to the Student Organizations’ Comptroller Office, administrators in the Office of Student Engagement, the Undergraduate Student Government and the Department of Campus Life and Inclusive Excellence is unacceptable and upsetting.
We want student organization financial policies and the Student Organizations’ Comptroller Office to be brought in alignment with the University financial policies and procedures. This would mean providing transparency in our account activity and current balance statement in a timely manner. Reimbursements would also need to be completed within ten business days of submission, per the University’s policies, to eliminate the unfair financial strain placed on students. We also ask graduate students be allowed the opportunity to become members of our student organizations. Lastly, we are also requesting easier avenues for addressing the concerns and problems experienced by student organizations, as well as timeliness in resolving them.
We hope bringing these concerns to the highest level of DU administration will result in addressing the above issues in a swift and efficient manner, so the integrity and values of DU are upheld. Additionally, the resolve of these issues promotes the University’s mission to support its students who are working to further their education through their participation in student organizations and bettering the greater community as a whole.
Sincerely, the members of the following student organizations,
Max Pivonka, President, Alpha Phi Omega, National Service Fraternity
June Churchill, President, Queer Student Alliance
Ester Phenna, President, GlobeMed at DU
Carrie Hicks, President, DU Debate
Marius Rosu, President, Pre-Health Society
Isabella Contolini, President, Catholic Student Fellowship, Students for Life
