Board of Visitors minutes :: May 25, 1990 :: University of Virginia Library

The following resolution was adopted:
RESOLVED that the Student Activities Committee be and it is hereby charged with the authority and responsibility, under the President, for supervision of the Student Activities Fund which is made up of student activities fees. With respect to allocation from the Fund, unless otherwise directed by the President, the procedures shall be as follows: the budgets of all organizations will be reviewed by Student Council and if approved, Student Council will allocate funds from student activities fees to the organizations.

Funds may be allocated by Student Council to eligible student organizations in the following categories, The Rector and Visitors having determined that activities in these categories are related to the educational purpose of the University:
1) student governments and councils;
2) co-curricular activities which do not come under the purview of University departments or units;
3) club sports;
4) curricularly-oriented publications, student newspapers and student news magazines;
5) the student radio and television stations;
6) cultural and fine arts activities;
7) the University designated coordinating agency for student volunteer service activities;
8) student clinical training programs;
9) hobby organizations;
10) non-partisan groups whose predominate purpose is to present speakers on a non-partisan basis to speak on topics of probable general interest to the University;
11) student legal services;
12) service organizations; and
13) student organizations acting as spokesman for groups of students protected by federal non-discrimination legislation.

"No monies from these funds shall be given:
1) for honoraria or similar fees;

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2) for religious activities or activities sponsored by religious organizations;
3) for social entertainment or for organizations whose activities are substantially social;
4) to such organizations as fraternities, sororities or honor societies when admission is exclusionary in nature and not open to all students as well as to any organization when membership is restricted by reason of race, religion, national origin, political affiliation, or sex. Notwithstanding these requirements, a club sport may restrict membership based on sex where selection for such teams is based upon competitive skill or the activity involved is a contact sport. Organizations may also make requirements based on writing skills or on vocal range or quality which may result in a chorus or choruses of one or predominantly one sex. In determining cases of discrimination it is not sufficient to look merely to the constitution of such an organization but to its actual practices and operations.
5) for political action purposes, i.e. lobbying or electioneering activities. Lobbying includes any activity the principal purpose of which is to influence the passage or defeat of specific legislation. Electioneering encompasses participating or intervening in any political campaign on-behalf or in opposition to any candidate for public office. These restrictions are not intended to preclude funding of any otherwise eligible student organization which: (1) advocates, as an incidental or insubstantial parts of its activities, the adoption or rejection of legislation; (2) engages in nonpartisan analysis, study, or research, and makes the results available to the public; or (3) espouses particular positions or ideological viewpoints, including those that may be unpopular or are not generally accepted.
(6) for activities which would jeopardize the University's status as an organization to which contributions are deductible under Section 170 of the Internal Revenue Code. If a governmental inquiry or audit is initiated as a result of an activity of a particular organization that may lead to the imposition of excise taxes or otherwise impair the University's tax-exempt status, the University may suspend, withdraw or discontinue funding to that organization after notice and an opportunity to be heard."

The ceiling on the aggregate amount allocated to all such organizations will be the then current total student activities fees. Each organization whose budget is reviewed by the Student Council will have a right of appeal to the Student Activities Committee. Any student or student groups may also appeal to the Student Council and to the Student Activities Committee. The Student Activities Committee shall examine on its own motion any budgets that may be approved by the Student Council for organizations deemed by the committee to be within the categories noted above.

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If no appeal or motion is taken the Student Council Vice President for Student Organizations writes the chairman of the Student Activities Committee requesting that the allocations for those organizations be released to the Student Activities Business Manager. When the Student Activities Business Manager receives the funds from the University they are deposited into a bank checking account. Expenditures from the allocations can be made provided the student organization completes the proper authorization forms with the Student Activities Business Manager.

BE IT RESOLVED that the foregoing amendments to the Guidelines for Student Activities Current Fund Allocation shall apply to all student organization funding requests that are pending on, or are made after, July 1, 1990.