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Many students unaware of how AUCC funding process works
By Alex Chesbro, Michael Lucibella, Aurora Matthews and Laura Schuetz on 3/5/07
Despite two recent, highly publicized controversies about student club funding, many students and student representatives still have little knowledge about how their student activity fees are allocated to AU clubs, leading to confusion over who is responsible for overseeing club activities and how much funding groups are allocated.
The first controversy began in late January when a petition to stop funding the National Coalition on Organized Resistance was circulated and submitted to the board of trustees and American University Club Council, the student-run organization in charge of allocating funds for all clubs on campus. The AUCC decided against any change in funding for NCOR after hearing presentations by pro- and anti-NCOR groups made before the Residence Hall Association, The Eagle previously reported.
Around the same time, the College Democrats were suspended and lost half of their annual allotment of funding because of bookkeeping discrepancies during the fall semester, The Eagle previously reported. The club was not accused of mismanaging the actual spending of the funds, but for simply not keeping the proper records of their spending and fundraising, and has since been reinstated as a club.
Despite these two recent episodes, students often know little about how the AUCC works, or what its functions and responsibilities are.
Florina Belorusels, a junior in the School of International Service, said despite being involved in Sigma Delta Tau, she had very little idea as to how the allocation process actually worked. Of the AUCC, Belorusels said she "didn't know we had one."
Samantha Reisberg, a junior in the School of Communication, said she doesn't think information about the AUCC, as well as the Student Activities office, is readily available.
"I couldn't tell you anything about either group," Reisberg said.
Members of the Student Government expressed similar sentiments. On the condition of anonymity because of the recent AUCC controversies, one student senator said of the AUCC, "I don't even know how it runs."
The first controversy began in late January when a petition to stop funding the National Coalition on Organized Resistance was circulated and submitted to the board of trustees and American University Club Council, the student-run organization in charge of allocating funds for all clubs on campus. The AUCC decided against any change in funding for NCOR after hearing presentations by pro- and anti-NCOR groups made before the Residence Hall Association, The Eagle previously reported.
Around the same time, the College Democrats were suspended and lost half of their annual allotment of funding because of bookkeeping discrepancies during the fall semester, The Eagle previously reported. The club was not accused of mismanaging the actual spending of the funds, but for simply not keeping the proper records of their spending and fundraising, and has since been reinstated as a club.
Despite these two recent episodes, students often know little about how the AUCC works, or what its functions and responsibilities are.
Florina Belorusels, a junior in the School of International Service, said despite being involved in Sigma Delta Tau, she had very little idea as to how the allocation process actually worked. Of the AUCC, Belorusels said she "didn't know we had one."
Samantha Reisberg, a junior in the School of Communication, said she doesn't think information about the AUCC, as well as the Student Activities office, is readily available.
"I couldn't tell you anything about either group," Reisberg said.
Members of the Student Government expressed similar sentiments. On the condition of anonymity because of the recent AUCC controversies, one student senator said of the AUCC, "I don't even know how it runs."
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