Cauldron

Issue date: 2/19/08 Section: Sports & Clubs

Media Credit: Shannen Garza SAB President and senior business administration major Jennifer Monroy discusses amendments to SAB's constitution with treasurer Rachel Castillo, junior communication major, and vice president Amanda Ingersoll, junior marketing major.

The Student Activities Board recently decided to update its constitution, according to SAB president and senior business administration major Jennifer Monroy.

Student Organizations Committee leaders collectively decided that, because the constitution had not been revised since 2002, a more modern version should be written.

"It's very outdated," Monroy said. "There are a lot of things that are no longer relevant. There wasn't really a choice; if it's not current, then we're not abiding by our constitution. We needed to tie up some of the loose ends."

The SAB constitution was lost for many years because members were not required to keep a hard copy, Monroy said. Former SAB officers lost the constitution when the group was still known as the Program Council. When the office was moved, members discovered it in a box full of old documents. The constitution had not been revised since 2002.

Monroy said that not having the constitution did not affect the organization's ability to make decisions, but that it was time to revise the old document now that it has been found. "We wanted to be able to make it official, though, and have correct information for the officers coming in next year," she said. "We spent a lot of money on things not related to SAB last year, and we don't want to overspend in the future and have our funding cut."

Under the revised constitution, the SAB president now holds office until June 30, giving next year's president time to adjust to his or her new duties. Money, in the past, was dispensed differently. A $1,500 cap on the amount of money given to co-sponsor an activity has been set to ensure that money will not be taken for granted, Monroy said. Stipends have also been reduced, because of campus-wide budget cuts. The president's stipend has been reduced from 12 hours of tuition to nearly half of that amount.

That stipend, which is currently set at $3,400 per semester, could be reduced again in the next year. The goal of some UST administrators is to, eventually, eliminate the stipends, Monroy said.

"I didn't run for president because of the stipend, but it is a bonus," she said. "I put in more than half of my school life here. It takes more than two hours to get all these things done."

Monroy added that SAB plans to meet in the future to discuss other minor amendments to the consititution.

SAB, a member of the SOC, is responsible for most of the entertainment and events held at the University. Membership is open to all students.

Page 1 of 1

Article Tools