The Observer article said:
The Observer article said:
Someone should first find out where the money came from. I know for a fact that student organizations often have their own accounts and that the universities are not allowed to regulate the use of those funds. If that’s the case, the school is not at fault. If the money came from the school’s account, shame on them.Disgusting. I say that Notre Dame should have it’s Catholic title removed!
If they have their own funding why would they need to petition the student activities office?
What also needs to be known is how their personal funds are kept. At some Universities, even when an organization has “personal” funds, those funds are still kept by the University (e.g. Each club has a bank account with the school where they deposit funds they raised). If this is the case, then it is highly possible that the Organization would need to receive approval from the appropriate school offices/administrators before accessing or using any of their ‘personal’ funds.My only question is whether this is the students’ money or the University’s money? Some student organizations have their own funds. It would be totally inappropriate to use University money for this purpose. What the students do with their organization money is really up to them and the officers of the organization, since they raised it. If the latter is the case, the University should clarify it before it turns into another major issue. If they put up the money, they should explain why, at least to their superiors.
Fraternally,
Br. JR, OSF
They must be…there’s a guy in my office who roots against the “Fighting Irish” because he really hates everything Catholic. (Makes me hesitate to hang my baptismal certificate on the wall next to my diploma!)
The last university where I was a dean, we had an SAO, but the school’s adminisration had no legal conrol over the funds, because they did not belong to the school. Each account has its one EIN and 501c3. The SAO does not have the authority to deny them access to their money. It works like a bank, where each organization places their money. They usually have rules for disbursement. The there are laws in every state that govern those rule. I know that in Washington DC the law prohibits withholding money for religious reasons and other reasons tha the local government considers discriminatory. You can’t say to the students that they cannot go to a gay rally.
I suppose it is different in each state. Where I went to University, they never actually provided any state guidelines/regulations to the treasurers regarding such matters. Instead, for any use of funds, you would generally need to contact two offices, would need the approval of club officers/organizers, and have the purpose verified by the University as a worthy use of club funds.The last university where I was a dean, we had an SAO, but the school’s adminisration had no legal conrol over the funds, because they did not belong to the school. Each account has its one EIN and 501c3. The SAO does not have the authority to deny them access to their money. It works like a bank, where each organization places their money. They usually have rules for disbursement. The there are laws in every state that govern those rule. I know that in Washington DC the law prohibits withholding money for religious reasons and other reasons tha the local government considers discriminatory. You can’t say to the students that they cannot go to a gay rally.
Georgetown University had to ask their gay rights group to move off campus, because it’s in Washington, DC and when it began to engage in support for same-sex marriage it opened a can of worms. Originally it was to promote human rights for gay people. Since they could not restrict certan activities, they had to ask them to go off campus. This was many years ago.
Fraternally,
Br. JR, OSF
The legal question depends on whose 501c3 you’re using. If you’re accounts are under the university’s number, they have a voice in the matter. If the SOA has its own number, then the university has no legal voice in the disbusment of funds. The disbursment is controlled by the SOA. Sometimes, you have student organizations, such as Sorarities and Fraternities that have their own 501c3 number. Even the SOA has not voice over their disbusement. This is being curtailed on campuses, because of the great abuse of Greek Life on campus.
.Sadly, the Observer was lying. The Progressive Student Alliance is a recognized student-led group, meaning that they are allowed to fund-raise and use university facilities to meet. They do not need the university’s permission to go on trips if university money is not being used. If university funding is being used, they would obviously need the blessing of the university for the trip, which they did not have, since the funding was the group’s own funding combined with the five students personal funding.
Saying that the The Observer lied might be going too far, as we don’t know there was any intent to deceive. The article may simply have made mistake - its just a student newspaper, after all.
media.www.ndsmcobserver.com/media/storage/paper660/news/2009/10/13/News/Activities.Office.Funds.Trip.To.D.c.March-3801297.shtml?reffeature=textemailedition
What is his favorite college team so I can put my “ju ju” on that team?
But I did mention that universities often do not have control over student funds, such as the SOA. But in this case, the SOA didn’t put out any money in the first place, even though they have the authority to do so. It was all a misunderstanding between the student reporter and his sources.