Correction Appended.
Recent controversy over the constitutional amendment proposed by the Undergraduate Council of Students that would allow it more direct access to the Student Activities Fund has brought to light procedural distinctions already confronted by students applying to start new groups.
In the first semester after receiving initial approval by UCS, new groups do not receive funding from the Undergraduate Finance Board. But at a time when leaders of many groups complain of chronic underfunding, some question whether the amendment, which students can vote on until midnight tonight, would result in less funding for their activities.
UCS received 34 new student group applications last semester. The council approved 13 groups, on par with the average for the last few years, said Mae Cadao '13, chair of the UCS Student Activities Committee, which makes recommendations to the council on which applications should be approved.
Currently, there are four categories of student groups: Category S for service-oriented groups and categories I, II and III for all other student groups, Cadao said.
New groups
When groups are first recognized by UCS, they start as Category I or Category S. There are currently 105 Category I student groups and 22 Category S groups. When approving new student groups, the council reviews their sustainability and the feasibility of their goals, said Anthony White '13, political and social action representative for the Student Activities Committee. UCS also discusses whether the group is too similar to existing student groups, he said.
Neither Category I nor Category S receives funding through the Undergraduate Finance Board, but Category I groups have the ability to apply for re-categorization one semester after they are first approved, White said.
UFB, a subsidiary of the council, is responsible for distributing funds to student groups from the Student Activities Fund, which all undergraduates pay as part of tuition. The funding a group receives from the board depends on its categorization status, a ranking determined by the council.
All student groups approved by UCS have access to resources such as finance accounts through the Student Activities Office and spaces to hold meetings, Cadao said.
UCS recognition also allows groups to use the University name when advertising or presenting events, an advantage when approaching outside speakers and organizations, White said.
On average, it takes groups three years to progress from Category I to Category III, White said.
Re-categorizing and moving up
Around 15 groups applied for re-categorization last semester, and 12 were approved, she said. Cadao said the Student Activities Committee does not take funding into consideration when approving or re-categorizing student groups.
At the intermediate level, Category II student groups such as the Jabberwocks and Chattertocks — two a cappella groups — receive $200 each semester from UFB, Cadao said. This semester, there are 50 Category II groups.
To acquire more funding, Category II groups must apply to join Category III, a ranking that includes 148 groups, such as the Brown Concert Agency and the Ivy Film Festival. Leaders of Category III groups submit an expanded budget proposal to UFB each year and can apply for supplemental funding as needed, according to the UFB website. Groups in this category also have free access to media services including projectors and sound systems, an option many student groups on campus find appealing, Cadao said.
Access to media services was one of the main reasons What's on Tap applied to join Category III last semester, said Brook Achterhof '14, co-director of the dance group. The $200 it received as a Category II group wasn't enough to cover the costs of its media needs, but its new funding as Category III allows members to rehearse with all the technical equipment they use in performances.
Achterhof said working with UCS for categorization was very simple for her group, a sentiment shared by Frances Brittingham '14, co-founder of Rhode Island Adaptive Sports — a Category S group.
Brittingham also said the application process has become much simpler since it changed in spring 2011. Previously, the Student Activities Committee heard new group proposals each week. But now the committee only reviews applications once each semester, a system that allows the committee to focus on activities other than just group categorization, such as hosting a voluntary orientation program for group leaders this semester, Cadao said.
The UCS-UFB relationship
Though many student group leaders said they did not experience any issues with the categorization process, Caroline Hughes '12, president of the Brown Polo Club, said she thinks UCS, UFB and the Student Activities Office should be more transparent about their individual roles in the funding application system.
"I don't understand UCS, UFB or SAO, and I would say, even after being re-categorized, I still don't know what they do," Hughes said. "I don't know who my UFB rep is. I don't know when the budget is due in the spring. I feel like it's really hard for a group to know what is going on."
She also said she didn't understand the relationship between UCS and UFB.
The constitutional amendment proposed by UCS is partly intended to clarify that relationship, said Daniel Pipkin '14, UCS-UFB liaison, in a Feb. 9 Herald article.
Many University-recognized student groups are currently underfunded, said Michael Perchonok '12, vice chair of UFB. The board was only able to fulfill two-thirds of the budget requests it received last year, Perchonok said in a Feb. 9 Herald article.
But Cadao said student groups often return unused funds to UFB at the end of the school year.
"Already, there's minimal funding, and the budget's clearly not enough for what student organizations on campus need," said Nick Melachrinos '15, who is attempting to form a DJ club. "Just giving that kind of flexibility to the UCS will limit all the other groups on campus."
While Melachrinos said he will continue to work towards building the group, he said he is worried his club will not be able to receive enough funding from the University.
But Sam Gilman '15, the UCS communication chair, said the amendment will not affect student groups, especially new student groups who do not receive funding from the University. The amendment could benefit student groups by creating a "better check and balance on UFB," he said.
The amendment would encourage smaller student groups to seek funding sources outside UFB, Cadao said.
The council will be hosting a "formal discussion" about the proposed amendment at 5:30 p.m. today in Salomon 001, according to a campus-wide email sent Friday.
All undergraduates can log on to MyCourses before 11:59 p.m. tonight to vote for or against the constitutional change.
Due to an editing error, an earlier version of this article stated that there are currently five student group category classifications, including a Category A designation for club sports. In fact, the Category A designation was eliminated by the council last year. The Herald regrets the error.
