Student Events' request to receive 17 percent of the Student Activities Fee directly from the Department of Student Activities, without going through the Student Union Finance Board, was approved by Senior Vice President for Students and Enrollment Jean Eddy last Monday. Union officials denounced the administration's decision in a media information session last Wednesday night and vowed to fight it extensively. While the Union call Student Events' proposal unconstitutional and detrimental to the ideas of student autonomy and financial oversight, Student Events representatives say that bypassing the F-Board will allow them to react faster and more flexibly to student wishes.

The changes will be implemented this coming January for the start of next semester. Eddy declined to comment to the Justice on her decision as of press time.

The Student Activities Fee consists of one percent of each student's tuition bill. Last year, Student Union Officials said that the administration demarcated $105, 000 of that fund separately on the tuition bill as an Events Fee, even though it was still distributed by the F-Board with the rest of the SAF. According to the Union, the funding Student Events wanted to receive directly from Student Activities corresponds to that demarcation, which comprises 17 percent of the SAF.

The Union Senate passed a unanimous resolution opposing the decision at its Nov. 18 meeting, arguing that Student Events violated the Union Constitution by submitting its proposal to the administration instead of changing the constitution through a student vote.

Eddy wrote in a letter to the Union last Monday that she approved Student Events' proposal because of her concern about the state of social life at Brandeis. "Student Events, more than any other single student organization, is expected to provide the essential elements of the social life on this campus," she wrote. "[O]ur current model . is the least successful in providing a vibrant and multifaceted social life for everyone."

Eddy wrote in the letter that she would be willing to reevaluate her decision if the Student Union and Student Events can come to a mutual agreement. Union President Shreeya Sinha '09 explained that Eddy denied her request last Wednesday to delay the proposal's implementation until next fall, a request Sinha said she made in order to let the student body come up with a compromise to improve social life.

"That literally leaves us eight days to come up with a counterproposal [before the start of finals]," Sinha said. "[Eddy] didn't give us a chance for a compromise."

Director of Student Activities Stephanie Grimes acknowledged that by receiving its funds directly Student Activities, Student Events would be receiving $5,000 less than the amount of money the F-Board allocated to them this semester, but noted that the club's original proposal envisioned the possibility of the group procuring additional funding from the F-Board.

Grimes said the administration "is not governed by the Union Constitution." She described the Union Constitution as guiding principles for campus life, a role the Constitution would continue to have, she said. "I don't see.this decision lessening that document," she said.

Sinha, however, called the constitution a "social contract for all student organizations" and emphasized that students should be able to decide how their SAF money is spent.

"The message being sent [by the administration] is that you are voiceless and this is an administrative decision," Sinha said.

According to Lauren Barish '08, director of Student Events, the decision entails that "the proposal passes for next semester, but it still gives us an opportunity to work with the union and.see if we can reach a compromise throughout the spring semester."

While the proposal has been public for two-and-a-half weeks, Sinha said that discussions about it began two months earlier between Student Events and the Department of Activities. The proposal, however, was not brought up in weekly meetings between Student Union Executive Board and the Student Activities, Sinha said.

"We deal with lots of student leaders. and we're not always going to share everything that's going on with all of those organizations with other students," Grimes said.

Union officials said they would immediately begin mobilizing the student body and speak with club leaders, and that they had already received support from concerned alumni.

Grimes said she was supportive of the decision because she thought it would allow Student Events "to concentrate on programming" as well as on gathering student input.

"There are some times where we need big events that attract everybody, and that is what Student Events' mission should be," Grimes said. The job of Student Events, she said, is to complement events like Pachanga to provide a complete weekend of activities.

Grimes said Student Events will still honor the outcome of the 2006 SAF reform, in which students voted to require secured clubs to justify their funding requests to the F-Board. "Student Events needs to be very good about explaining to the community about how they're spending their money and they need to be accountable to the student community, and they are planning to do that," she said.

Union Treasurer Choon Woo Ha '08 emphasized that the F-Board saw all the problems Student Events identifies with regard to its finances could have been fixed without resorting to this proposal. Ha said that Student Events' plan puts "money in the hands of people who are not elected."

Grimes said she recognized a similar concern. "I think that's one of the big questions that Student Events will need to tackle . how are they getting student input?" she said. "[The answer] could be elected positions."

Director of Union Affairs Jason Gray '10 said that the administration also emphasized during conversations with the Union Executive Board that it took a liking to Student Events' proposal because it provided for professional oversight of student programming.

"I don't believe the administration can plan better parties then students on this campus," Gray said.