After approving funding for first issue printing of the The Buzz in September, the Boston University Allocation Board rescinded the publication’s university funds last week, officials said.’

Dean of Students Kenneth Elmore said he met with Buzz editors on Friday to discuss the error. Elmore referenced BU’s Publications Policy, which states all student journals ‘of opinion’ must be financially independent from the university.’

‘The BU Buzz is a news device,’ he said. ‘There’s been no change in policy. We just got it wrong and we’re doing what we can to rectify it.”

When The Buzz first applied to be a student group with the Student Activities Office, they received the Publications Policy and assumed they would not get funding due to their status as a student publication, Co-Editor-in-Chief Marisa Morrison, a College of Communication junior, said in an interview with The Daily Free Press following her announcement of the funding in an Oct. 26 BU Today article.’

However, when the group approached the AB, it was told The Buzz funding would be allowed.’

‘We had applied for funding for a launch party because we didn’t think we’d get money for printing,’ she said. ‘That’s when they told us they would only grant us money for the purpose of printing since that’s the purpose of our student group, not throwing a party.”

Morrison confirmed BU had rescinded their funding, but declined to comment on the implications of the AB’s new decision.

The AB, a student-run organization responsible for distributing part of the Undergraduate Student Fee to qualifying student organizations, lists in its Sept. 21 meeting minutes that it approved first-issue printing funding for The Buzz.

The Buzz received funding due to their status as a registered undergraduate student organization, AB Chairwoman and University Professors Program junior Jackie Byrd said in an Oct. 28 email defending the original decision.’

‘The Allocations Board Funding Handbook states only student groups registered with SAO are eligible for funding, hence the Buzz was considered eligible for AB funding once approved by SAO,’ Byrd said. ‘All groups registered with SAO are held to University policies ‘- rendering The Buzz not an ‘independent’ student publication in that sense of the word.”

However, Elmore said, The Buzz is considered a journal of opinion, unlike other newsletters or gazettes BU funds.

‘We’ll support them as a student organization but not by funding [their printing],’ Elmore said.’

Elmore said he is not concerned with AB’s error.

‘It’s rare,’ he said. ‘I think this is the first time I’ve [overruled the AB.] I think they’re a pretty responsible group of students.’

Elmore said funding decisions are made by students because he believes student input is important.

‘There’s a certain amount of money that goes to supporting student activities,’ he said. ‘I could just make those decisions myself, but I think it’s useful to . . . give students the chance to have a direct say in funding those student organizations.”

SAO unofficial Student Journals Coordinator Zachary Bos said BU currently helps to fund 10 student journals. However, he said, none of them receive funding from the AB.’

‘Some of them get advertising [from BU],’ Bos, a graduate school of arts and sciences student, said. ‘The rest of them get grants from different university offices and departments.”

Elmore emphasized he likes the idea of ‘The Buzz,’ noting that BU can offer support for publications by reserving rooms for staff to meet in and listing events on the university calendar.’

‘I’ve got an interest in seeing those kind of things,’ he said. ‘It’s just that students need to recognize . . . the costs that are associated.’

Staff reporter Jenna Ebersole contributed to the reporting of this article.’