Debate Over UC Initiatives Raises Concerns About Funding Practices

The Undergraduate Council voted to allocate more than $8,000 to various initiatives during its general meeting Monday, although some votes prompted concerns that the UC was publicizing and funding events before formal approval.

Representatives passed a piece of legislation that allocated $2,500 to cover unanticipated costs for Project H, an event designed to foster “open, inclusive social initiatives.” The Council had already voted in February to allocate $2,500 to Project H. The additional funding will cover costs for decorations and other supplies that exceeded the project’s previous budget.

At the Undergraduate Council general meeting Monday night, members discuss the logistics of funding events responsibly. By Savannah I. Whaley

“It was super successful,” UC Student Initiatives Committee Chair Madeleine H. Stern ’18 said. “We had 700 people come throughout the course of the night.”

Given that the event took place last Friday, the committee had already spent the money it was asking the Council to allocate, sparking debate among some UC representatives.

Although representatives overwhelmingly agreed the event was a success, several raised concerns over the practice of spending money before voting to allocate it. According to UC rules, any allocation of funds from the $75 student term bill fee must first be approved by a vote of the full Council.

“I am concerned that money was spent of the UC’s without anyone’s voting to do so,” former UC Parliamentarian Jacob R. Steinberg-Otter ’16 said.

Stern clarified that, given that the last-minute costs took place between UC meetings, a full Council vote would have been infeasible.

Steinberg-Otter suggested that the UC could avoid similar future situations by initially taking funds from the UC’s Operations budget, which does not require full Council approval, and then voting to re-allocate funds at the next meeting.

“I would love for there to be a further discussion about how we can deal with this,” Stern said.

A piece of legislation to fund Club 1636, an event designed to “provide open and alternative late night social programming,” prompted similar objections. Crimson Yard Representative Jack Kelley ’19 said that UC representatives had already begun publicizing the event before funding was allocated.

“I think it’s important to keep in mind that we shouldn’t [publicize] things or allocate money that we haven’t approved as a Council together,” Kelley said.

Acknowledging Kelley’s concern, UC President Shaiba Rather ’17 clarified that the event would take place regardless of whether the Council votes to fund it. The Council ultimately voted unanimously to fund the event.

The UC also allocated $1,500 to fund a “De-Stress Fest” in collaboration with the College Events Board, and $900 to help fund the Office of Sexual Assault Prevention and Response’s Denim Day event as part of Sexual Assault Awareness Month.

In addition to voting at the meeting to endorse the web-based Summer Playbook initiative, the Council also allocated $865 to student organization Act on a Dream as part of an unplanned grants pack. UC Finance Committee Chair William A. Greenlaw ’17 said the grant was not included in previous grant allocations due to a committee error.

UC Secretary Anna T. Wechsler ’18 also announced at the meeting that the Council’s Executive Board voted to remove Ivy Yard representative Dennis K. Kim ’19 from the UC due to attendance-related reasons. Council rules stipulate that representatives cannot miss more than three general meetings, three committee meetings, or a combination of two of each.

—Staff writer Brian P. Yu can be reached at brian.yu@thecrimson.com. Follow him on Twitter @brianyu28.