Recently announced changes to Union Treasury and Finance Board funding policies could allow Student Events to receive its funding through F-Board again, according to representatives from the Student Union and Student Events. Talks are currently underway to determine the viability of such a plan, both sides said. Last November, Senior Vice President for Students and Enrollment Jean Eddy approved a proposal by Student Events to receive 17 percent of the Student Activities Fee directly from the Department of Student Activities instead of through requests to F-Board.

However, Student Events Financial Director Ben Gordon '08 said that many of the changes that Union Treasurer Choon Woo Ha '08 spoke about in his State of the Finance address April 7 were "point-by-point our problems with the Union last semester," indicating Student Events' potential agreement to switch back to the old system.

Student Events Director Lauren Barish '08 pointed to Ha's announcement that F-Board would switch to allocating general grants for events instead of line-item allocations, in which clubs request money for specific items bound to specific purposes starting next fall.

She added that Student Events also viewed the addition of Appeal Request meetings, in which groups could appeal F-Board decisions about club money requests, as a positive step.

Student Events representatives explained last semester that the change in their funding process would allow them to respond more flexibly to student wishes. Union members strongly protested Eddy's decision, calling the move unconstitutional and incompatible with the idea of student autonomy and the passage of the Student?Activities Fee referendum in 2006, after which secured groups no longer received a guaranteed percentage of the SAF but were eligible to receive a baseline amount of money at the beginning of each semester, with the option of requesting additional funds from F-Board

Eddy maintained the constitutionality of her decision, stating that she values student autonomy. She told the Justice that her intent with the decision was to improve social life and decrease rollover of Student Union finances.

Barish and Gordon did say that this semester the new funding system has been beneficial for them. Barish explained that the allocation of one bulk sum allowed the group to shift funds more easily between different departments.

"For example, the bar night that we had in February was wildly successful, . and we were able to just do it right away because we heard that students wanted to go off-campus, so we made it happen without having to appeal to F-Board for changes," she said.

F-Board declined funding requests by Student Events this spring in light of the group's constitutional violations, according to material on the Union Treasury Web site. F-Board placed funding Student Events requested for Springfest in the account of WBRS, the club which traditionally cohosts the event. Union Advocate Brian Paternostro '08 said that WBRS had the freedom to associate Student Events in planning Springfest this year.

Barish noted that in granting Student Events' proposal, Eddy had stated she would honor an agreement between the two groups if they found a way to resolve the issue themselves.

Recent discussions with the Student Union were "promising," Barish said. She said the organization would go back under F-Board, but the process would likely not be identical to the way it was at the beginning of last semester.

Paternostro said it would be beneficial for Student Events to come back under F-Board because the Union's financial management operation is superior to that of the Department of Student Activities, which distributed Student Events' SAF portion this semester. He also said Student Events' concerns with the allocation process had been addressed, pointing to the Treasury's 24-hour processing time initiative.

Student Events can participate in a voting process to request funding from the rollover funds being made available to the student body, possibly allowing for a second fall concert, Student Union President Shreeya Sinha '09 wrote in an e-mail to the Justice. She added that the Union is drafting a proposal under which Student Events can request money throughout the year, as opposed to just once a semester.

Both Barish and Gordon said the outcome of the discussions remained open. Gordon said Student Events is operating under the assumption that either funding system could take hold next semester. "Whether or not the allocations process benefits our events is something we're still looking into," Gordon said. He pointed out that for many activities, Student Events had to plan and spend its money a semester ahead of early marathon, often to take advantage of better prices.

Paternostro and Sinha expressed concerns about Student Events' programming and transparency. Paternostro criticized the group for not including the top director position among available staff positions for the next year. Members of Student Events select a director through an application process. In contrast to the F-Board, "if I don't like my social life, I can't impeach the director of Student Events," he said. The new director of Student Events is Ilyssa Adler '09, who was co-director this semester.

Barish said she could understand calls for elections to the director position, but emphasized the importance of the experience Student Events members gained within the organization that a candidate from outside the organization would lack. She added that Student Events had made the process more open by allowing students to question and give feedback to the candidate for the position.