2008 Woodie Awards
Reality of Greek funding
Organizations hope to gain money from Student Government.
By: Pedro Ildefonso
Issue date: 4/18/08 Section: News
A heated debate looms over Clemson's Undergraduate Student Government (CUSG), Inter-fraternity Council, Panhellenic Council, Pan-Hellenic Council and Greek Life.
Within the coming months the individual Greek organizations are expected to discuss with the Student Activity Funding Board the possibility of receiving money from the Student Activity Fee.
The entire organization funding process is often misunderstood -- if understood at all -- by the majority of Clemson students. In fact, many wonder how CUSG doles out the cash, why Greek organizations are prohibited from applying for funding and how Greeks are supposed to receive University funding. Every organization that wishes to apply for funding must be recognized by CUSG.
The first thing that must be done is that a purpose, president and advisor for the organization must be determined and submitted to the Organizations Director.
Then a constitution needs to be drafted by those wishing to start the organization that fully explains the process and procedure that the group will follow.
The Organizations Director then approves or disapproves the group.
After being recognized, all organizations are eligible to apply for the yearly operational funding, and appointment based non-operational and emergency funding. This is true for all groups except social Greek organizations.
When asked where it states in the Student Handbook or Student Government Bylaws that social Greeks are not allowed to apply for Greek funding, the response from senior officials in Student Government leaders is that "it is an implicit assumption that we made as Student Government."
What this means is that Student Government is not allowing individual recognized Greek organizations to apply for funding because a non-recognized Greek oversight group called Greek Life already gets funding.
For the record, Greek Life is not an officially recognized and is technically ineligible to receive funding from Student Government, yet this year alone they were granted an operating budget of $34,500.
Within the coming months the individual Greek organizations are expected to discuss with the Student Activity Funding Board the possibility of receiving money from the Student Activity Fee.
The entire organization funding process is often misunderstood -- if understood at all -- by the majority of Clemson students. In fact, many wonder how CUSG doles out the cash, why Greek organizations are prohibited from applying for funding and how Greeks are supposed to receive University funding. Every organization that wishes to apply for funding must be recognized by CUSG.
The first thing that must be done is that a purpose, president and advisor for the organization must be determined and submitted to the Organizations Director.
Then a constitution needs to be drafted by those wishing to start the organization that fully explains the process and procedure that the group will follow.
The Organizations Director then approves or disapproves the group.
After being recognized, all organizations are eligible to apply for the yearly operational funding, and appointment based non-operational and emergency funding. This is true for all groups except social Greek organizations.
When asked where it states in the Student Handbook or Student Government Bylaws that social Greeks are not allowed to apply for Greek funding, the response from senior officials in Student Government leaders is that "it is an implicit assumption that we made as Student Government."
What this means is that Student Government is not allowing individual recognized Greek organizations to apply for funding because a non-recognized Greek oversight group called Greek Life already gets funding.
For the record, Greek Life is not an officially recognized and is technically ineligible to receive funding from Student Government, yet this year alone they were granted an operating budget of $34,500.
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