Distribution of money leads to AS appeal

By D. Lynn Bond
The Collegian

Three Associated Students senators appealed to the Student Court after a decision by the AS Senate to provide funding for an event after the deadline to apply had passed.

Senators Stephen Trembley, Simon Haeder and Katie Yeffa opposed the allocation of $1,500 for the African History Month Organization after the group failed to apply for funding before the deadline.

In order for clubs and organizations to apply for AS funding they must apply six weeks in advance.

Normally the finance committee will accept applications as late as three weeks in advance.

According to the application for funding, the group did not apply for funding before the deadline because its adviser had lost the paperwork.

Haeder said he, Trembley and Yeffa do not see the group as undeserving of funding, but said the process should be applied to any group.

“In order to ensure equality for all students and accountability for student fees we felt compelled to not relent on this issue, we feel an appeal to the student court is our last resort.” Haeder said.

AS has approved funding for groups that miss the deadline in the past. Trembley, a Finance Committee member said groups who miss the deadline usually attend committee meetings to explain why they missed the deadline. During the meeting, they also provide reasons why they should still receive funding.

“If you miss the deadline you should have extraordinary circumstances. I don’t feel the adviser losing the paperwork is extraordinary circumstances to properly protect student fees,” Trembley said.

Haeder said appealing to the Student Court was an appropriate action since the Senate allocated such a large amount after the deadline. The Finance Committee can allocate anywhere between $100- $1,000 without Senate approval, according to the Finance Committee bylaws.

According to AS bylaws, the Student Court must hold a hearing within two weeks of a claim filed by a member of AS.

The student court has yet to be used and justices have not been appointed. How the appeal to the student court will be handled in the two week time frame is yet to be determined.

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