The Allocations Board’s funding proposal, which would give it almost full control of Boston University student group funds, was drafted too quickly and gives the Board too much power, according to College of Arts and Sciences Forum members.
“I think the new proposal gives an exorbitant amount of power to officers who weren’t even popularly elected by the student body,” said Forum Vice President Melissa Nasson.
In a letter sent to The Daily Free Press Wednesday night, Steven Holtzman, Forum executive vice president of Financial Affairs, points out several “problems” in AB’s proposal, including how the call for “greater equality” of funds distribution does not make sense because CAS needs proportionally more money to provide for its large constituency.
“[CAS] Forum feels that this has happened incredibly quickly,” said Nasson, a CAS sophomore. “I think that everyone in Forum believes that the allocations process has to be reformed in general, but this is the absolute wrong way to do it.”
The Allocations Board, a student-run group, currently shares money distribution power with other student groups, including the Student Union, Programming Council and student governments.
The plan, proposed earlier this week, would give the 14-member Board greater control of funds distribution and require other student groups to report to the Board instead of the Office of the Dean of Students.
The Programming Council currently receives $100,000 each year, much more than the approximately $8,000 allocated to the Student Union. Under the new proposal, PC’s budget would increase, and the Union may receive up to double its current budget, said AB member Tyler Ramaker.
The Forum’s letter to the Free Press is not the group’s official statement, said Forum President Jeremy Weldon, who said he was notified of the letter late Thursday night.
“I was extremely surprised by it,” the CAS junior said.
Weldon said he had spoken with other student groups earlier this week, and they had voiced similar concerns over parts of the proposal. He said after further discussion with AB Vice Chairman Soren Hessler, his opinion on the proposal has changed.
“I look more favorably on it now than I did Wednesday night,” Weldon said.
Ramaker said there have been several changes made to the plan since it was proposed earlier this week, including a closer look at guidelines for student groups to receive funding.
Weldon, who will meet today with Forum members, including Nasson, said his executive board will revaluate its position on the proposal and could not comment on the sent letter.
“While the AB may be composed of intelligent and honest individuals now, in the future, you can’t trust one group of people,” said CAS junior class vice president Danielle Ligenza. “[The Board] is checked by the Dean of Students, but [Kenneth] Elmore won’t always be there, either.”
The proposal would allow AB to distribute the Community Service Fee, a portion of the Undergraduate Student Fee, to all BU student organizations, “making funding a single, streamlined process,” according to the proposal. The current Undergraduate Student Fee is $231 per semester for each student, according to the University Registrar Office website.
The Forum would likely receive less funds because the plan disregards membership in granting money, Ligenza said.
“You can’t base it on percentage, because we have so many students, and other schools don’t,” she said. “You can’t take from CAS students’ undergraduate fees and give it to students in other schools.
“The percentage of CAS students attending CAS events was lower than the percentage of [University Professors Program] students attending UNI events, so [under the new proposal], we shouldn’t get as much,” Ligenza said.
Forum members said they are also concerned about the lack of a system of checks and balances, because AB would have sole control of funds.
The Student Union will vote on the proposal at its Sunday meeting.
“The AB has prepared a policy recommendation to encourage greater student involvement with the distribution of the Community Service Fee and to increase student accountability for use of the fee,” according to the AB’s release.
By keeping some of their budget, student groups can still have control of their funds, Hessler said.
“Realistically, the funding model the [AB] uses now with student groups is very effective,” he said. “The problem is [funding for] students outside the student groups . . . [we need] more effective use of the Undergraduate Student Fee across the board.
“The intention of the Allocations Board was never to take away from student groups,” Hessler added.
The AB will meet today with students to discuss the proposal at 3 p.m. at the Howard Thurman Center in the George Sherman Union.