Stony Brook University President Shirley Strum Kenny decertified Polity on Oct. 11, 2002. Since then, there has been some concern voiced over what will now happen with the budgets of clubs and organizations, as well as the other administrative functions that in the past have been carried out by Student Polity Association (SPA).
The duties that were performed by SPA have now been divided among a handful of interim committees that are comprised primarily of students. The interim structure seeks to provide continued services funded by the Student Activity Fee (SAF).
According to Vice President for Student Affairs Fredrick Preston, Ed.D., the burden of financial management, including the cutting of checks for clubs and organizations, will be borne by the Interim Financial Committee. It will include SPA?s former Custodial Disbursement Agent Frank Sallustio, and former SPA Treasurer Clayton John. The committee will be in consultation with Preston?s office, and SUNY and SPA legal counsel.
[It is the feeling of several former Polity senators, however, that Kathleen Westlake ?signs the checks, and so she makes the decisions.?]?
The SAF Special Programming Council (SAFSPC) and the SAF Interim Planning Committee (SAFIPC) will shoulder the burden of planning for campus life-oriented activities. The latter organization is the more prominent of the two and has been in existence since the late summer, while the SAF was in receivership. It is comprised solely of students, who were appointed to the committee from a variety of sources.
?The goal of SAFIPC is to plan major programs that are aimed towards the entire student body, basically programs Stony Brook has been missing for some time,? said Bryan Johnson, a committee member.