IUSA plans to set funding guidelines

When junior Mallory McShane pays her tuition — including the student activity fees — every semester, she wants to make sure that the funds are allocated for something important.

However, she said she understand that many students do not care about where the money goes.

“Students only know that these are compulsory fees which appear in your bursar bill every semester,” she said.

IU students contribute more than $400,000 each year in mandatory fees to support student-led initiatives around campus, an action directed to the Student Organization Fund and allocated by the Indiana University Student Association Funding Board.

Given that amount of money, IUSA has decided to propose a new guideline for accountable funding and more transparency in the allocation process.

“In the past years, student groups have been less accountable to the IUSA Funding Board,” said Neil Kelty, IUSA chief of staff. “These new guidelines are going to change that. We want to make sure that people are accountable for what happens to the student funds.”

The guidelines will grant the IUSA Funding Board more power to oversee the funds and better outline the funds’ eligibility requirements as well as the allocation process.

“The current guidelines have much of the eligibility requirements and allocation process lumped in with the board’s duties,” IUSA president Michael Coleman said. “The new guidelines will aim to improve that and enhance the communication between the IUSA Funding Board, IUSA and the director of Student Activities.”

IUSA members recently proposed these new guidelines for the Student Organization Fund to Dean of Students Pete Goldsmith, who has ultimate authority over the fund. Goldsmith is still in the process of approving these guidelines but said he had a constructive conversation with the IUSA executives.

The most important initiative for the guidelines is to make sure the money is being used in the fairest manner possible, Goldsmith said.

He also said it is legitimate that the IUSA has a proper amount of power to represent the group and oversee the other organizations’ internal use of their funds.

The guidelines will be more technical because they will explain how decisions are made fairly by the board, how the funding board is created and how it is to function, along with other concerns, Goldsmith said.

“If the proposal is approved by Dean Goldsmith, students will benefit a clear, updated version of the policy that provides easier access and clear accountability over the administration of the fund,” Kelty said in a press release.