Registered Student Organizations will receive no money until early September because of multiple procedural errors made by the university’s student-led governing body, a student official said.

Undergraduate Student Government President Jared Stern said roughly $80,000 appropriated to RSOs for operational funding in spring was “null and void” after it was discovered that some voting proxies – substitutes for elected student representatives – were not authorized to cast ballots, according to an email sent to students Wednesday.

The USG president, who was elected in May, said Thursday the action was a violation of USG Constitution. Proxies were supposed to be approved by the then-vice president before 1 p.m. on the day of the voting session, and there was no record to indicate such procedures were followed, Stern said.

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There were about 14 voting members at the most recent USG meeting when RSO operational funding was approved for the fall semester, Stern said. About five of those members were unapproved proxies who may have been biased in their decision-making, he said, which was one of the concerns raised regarding the funds this semester.

Stern, who attended the spring meeting when the funds were appropriated as a senator, could not control the situation at the time, he said.

He called the situation unfortunate and said his administration stalled the funding for RSOs to ensure everyone had a fair chance to apply for operational funds.

“It’s giving everyone an equal opportunity,” he said. “That’s all we’re trying to do.”

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This year, his administration aims to “clean up” the process and “restore operational efficiency” by recruiting a full Student Senate composed of 48 members to adequately represent the undergraduate student body at SIUC, Stern said.

RSOs are being asked to resubmit requests for operational funding through OrgSync, a communication platform employed by the university to help organize RSO business. The process opens Monday and will extend through Aug. 31, Stern said.

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As for special events, Stern said requests for funding can be submitted through the same process beginning Sept. 11. RSOs that need event funding earlier are advised to contact him directly at [email protected] and USG’s executive board will make decisions on a case by case basis, he said.

Campus editor Bill Lukitsch can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @lukitsbill.

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