The AUSA Senate discussed in their meeting on Tuesday their level of involvement in determining how sponsored student organizations use their funds.
The issue came about when the Student Organization Committee Co-chairman Monica Kumar reported that the SOC had approved the Asian Student Alliances request for a $1,500 refund.
The reimbursement was to come from their original $2,000 funding approval and was used for an organizational retreat in Breckenridge.
Although the SOC committee granted the refund, it was contingent on their ineligibility for more funding from both the Finance Committee and the Board of Contingency, and according to the committee’s constitution, the decision is pending until the Senate approves it.
Kumar said the decision was based upon the responsibility and freedom of student-run groups and clubs for their own programming and financial decisions.
“They had to turn in a list of planned programs when they got funding and they followed the list, although not how we had anticipated,” said Kumar.
“The Senate guidelines and rules [regarding funding] are unclear,” Kumar said. “In the past, we haven’t had stringent accountability procedures.
“We are in the process of making these, but [until then] we can’t hold them to something that is not yet in place.”
However, many Senate members felt like it was an exorbitant amount for a student organization to spend on a retreat and voted to send the issue back to the SOC for further debate.
In response to the decision, Senate advisor Carl Johnson warned that if the Senate wanted to debate over the finances this particular club, they would have to be prepared to use the same thoroughness with every other organization.
“It would be impossible for us to review the spending this closely for every organization,” added Kumar.
“I don’t think Senate needs to micromanage,” said Off-Campus Senator Michael Nicoletti, who was present at the retreat. “The retreat was a great thing for the group and that isn’t for Senate to decide.”
The SOC will convene again to revisit the issue and bring their decision to the Senate meeting today at 6 p.m. in the Driscoll Ballroom.
