SAC votes down absentee rule

Student Activities Council members last night voted against changing their constitution to enact harsher punishments on SAC groups who do not attend the monthly meetings. In the first meeting of the school year last night, SAC members turned down a proposed amendment which would have made groups that lost recognition for missing two SAC meetings wait four weeks before applying for re-recognition. The amendment would have prevented unrecognized groups from using SAC money during the four-week probation period. Under SAC guidelines, groups that miss two meetings in a school year automatically lose SAC recognition and are unable to use the Council's money until they are reinstated. Currently, SAC groups can apply for re-recognition immediately after they lose it, so groups that miss two meetings can be reinstated at the next full meeting. SAC Steering members said they proposed the amendment as a deterrent to some student groups that frequently miss meetings, losing their recognition and then applying for re-recognition frequently throughout the year. "Some groups show a great disrespect for SAC and those who really want to make it work," SAC Vice Chairperson Felicia Maddox said at last night's meeting. "In the past, we've been accused of being a rubber stamp organization and we're trying to change that view." Wharton senior Maddox said the current guidelines allow for a revolving door of student groups that pass in and out of SAC during a school year. She said that 10 to 20 percent of SAC groups lose recognition each year for missing two meetings, adding that half of those groups come up every year. About 15 of the approximately 140 SAC groups missed last night's meeting. But many members said the amendment was too harsh because it does not distinguish between first-time offenders and those groups that frequently lose their recognition. Members added that it is "easier than you might think" to miss meetings because of miscommunication within groups. Maddox said after the meeting that SAC Steering members "will be looking more closely at groups coming in for re-recognition" in the future to prevent frequent offenders from continuously using up SAC's time. In other business, SAC Finance Committee Chairperson Howard Radzely announced that his committee will be auditing all SAC groups' budgets to find any expenses not approved by the Council. Radzely said any charges that SAC did not approve beforehand must come out of an organization's money, not SAC money. Wharton senior Radzely added that several groups owe SAC money, and that groups with three years of outstanding debts have their funding frozen until the payments are made. SAC members also re-recognized six organizations and allocated contingency money to six others.

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.