The University of Iowa might see new collaboratively funded organizations on the block next year, but it is going to take longer than expected with two student bodies in a split about the decision.
Benjamin Gillig, the director of graduate and professional allocation committee and co-head of the Joint Finance Committee, said that panel recommended that collaboratively funded status be allotted to Indian Student Alliance on Nov. 11 but not to other two applicants, Walk It Out and Hawks Nest.
Gillig said the two student organizations did not meet all the objective qualifiers for that status that would put them on the list with eight other student organizations that receive expedited funding.
“[Collaboratively funded organizations] don’t necessarily get more money,” Gillig said during an Executive Council of Graduate and Professional Students meeting on Tuesday evening. “They get their funds at the beginning of the year so they can better plan their annual events. These have to be organizations of grave importance to the university and have a broad community impact.”
While the Executive Council voted in favor of the Finance Committees recommendation, the UI Student Government — its undergraduate counterpart — voted against the recommendation to re-evaluate Hawk’s Nest’s application. This means the Joint Finance Committee will have to meet again to review all the applications, and then the two student-government bodies would vote again on the new recommendation.
Hawks Nest members, who appealed their application to be re-evaluated after not receiving Joint Finance Committee’s recommendation, made statements at both UISG’s and the Executive Council’s meetings on Tuesday.
“We are here to address the queries that the Joint Finance Committee had with our application,” Matt Boeding, the vice president of the Hawks Nest, said during a statement at the meeting. “And we ask you reconsider the recommendation.”
Members of the Hawks Nest present at the meeting addressed the concerns that the Finance Committee had with their initial application — graduate-student involvement, evidence of broad community impact, and the Athletics Department as an alternative source of funding.
“We currently have two graduate students on our executive board,” Boeding said during the meeting. “… And to increase graduate-student involvement, we have also thought of working with the [Executive Council] and maybe even have a [council] member on our executive board.”
The members of Hawks Nest also stated that they had received only minimal funding from the Athletics Department.
Executive Council President Michael Appel said members of the student-government body almost always defer to Joint Finance Committee’s recommendation, because the panel spends a substantial amount of time going through the nitty-gritty of applications.
This did not hold true — the student-government bodies had different opinions on the recommendation.
Jostna Dash, the president of the Indian Student Alliance, said she was confident that the financial committee will recommend the group again.
“It will definitely feel great,” Dash said. “It was a big accomplishment to even get the recommendation the first time. It is big not only for me but for every member who has been in the Indian Student Alliance for the past 15 years. I am going to email all past presidents to let them know that we have got the recommendation, and I am sure we are safe even for the new recommendation.”
