UA gives SAC voice in groups' access to $32.5K fund

Though the Undergraduate Assembly's $32,500 discretionary fund is now officially available to all student groups, those that are funded by the Student Activities Council will have to take an additional step before applying to the UA for extra money. The UA passed a formal budget request policy at Sunday's meeting that contains a special provision requiring SAC groups to approach the SAC executive board before asking the UA for the requested additional funding. If the SAC executive board rejects the group's request for extra money, the group must first get permission from SAC before approaching the UA. The SAC executive board also reserves the right to make a recommendation to the UA Budget Committee as to whether funding should be granted to the SAC group in question. The provision works to maintain SAC's position as the primary source of funding for campus groups. Previously, SAC had criticized the UA's decision to use its discretionary fund to benefit all student groups, charging that it is SAC's responsibility -- and not the UA's -- to provide funding for student activities. "Our concern with the [discretionary] fund was that the UA was trying to become the second SAC [by funding SAC groups]," former SAC Chairperson and College senior Katie Cooper said. "[SAC] really wanted to create a clear boundary between SAC's and the UA's responsibility where SAC groups are concerned." SAC Chairperson and Wharton sophomore Jared Susco said that SAC supported the provision because it allows the council to maintain autonomy over the amount of additional funding awarded to groups. Susco added that certain requests which SAC cannot fund -- such as requests to pay for food and speakers that exceed a $100 limit -- would be referred to the UA's discretionary fund. Cooper said that SAC does not believe this move would default the UA discretionary fund back to its former status as primarily a source of funding for events sponsored by Greek organizations. InterFraternity Council President and College junior Mark Metzl agreed with Cooper's assertion. The Tau Epsilon Phi brother added that he is confident the IFC will continue to receive the necessary funding for its projects from the UA. UA Treasurer and Wharton sophomore Jonathan Glick added, "Based on the [fact that the] UA is predominantly a Greek body, I foresee the Greeks continuing to get a substantial amount of the discretionary fund." But IFC Vice President of Rush and College junior Matt Chait said the UA's discretionary fund should be brought back into the IFC's hands since the IFC is not a SAC-funded group. "I hope that most of the money can go to the IFC since the original spirit of it was for the IFC," said Chait, a Phi Kappa Sigma brother. "It would be more fair for groups like the IFC to get the UA's money since we're not part of the UA's original budget." But Susco disagreed, stressing that all groups should be given the opportunity to co-sponsor events with the UA. "The emphasis is opening the opportunity [for discretionary funding] to everyone," Susco said. "There's no just reason why the opportunity for co-sponsorship with the UA should be limited solely to the IFC."

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