The Associated Students of Fort Lewis College met on Wednesday to discuss enforcing the policy that Registered Student Organizations meet specific requirements stated in the RSO binding agreements.
The first discussion topic was on enforcing the policy that RSOs submit minutes of their meetings as well as attend the mandatory officer meetings in order to receive grants.
This was presented by senator and chair of student services, Ian Fullinwider.
A question that was asked by the Director of the Financial Allocation Board was should the ASFLC base its decision to grant money to an RSO on an up-to-date basis or by making a judgment based on the previous year, Fullinwider said.
Fullinwider stated that he was in favor of making a judgement on an up-to-date basis.
The ASFLC would consider whether or not an RSO attended the officer meetings thus far, and whether or not an RSO had submitted any minutes thus far, Fullinwider said.
Resolution 17-015 which was also presented by Fullinwider called for the requirement of RSO I’s to attend all mandatory meetings and trainings as well as their minutes in order to receive any grants.
The resolution did pass with eight senators in favor and two senators opposed.
FAB director Lauren Smith stated that she is in favor of the idea that the ASFLC should make the judgement on an up-to-date basis.
There may also be an issue regarding RSOs applying for a grant on the first week of school, Smith said.
When the first officer meeting is a month and a half into the semester, there is nothing to base the judgement on, she said.
“I think that you should absolutely use the previous year at least for the fall semester,” senator Dustin Fink said.
That system sets a clear boundary for upperclassmen and forces faculty advisors to make the students more aware of what the consequences are, he said.
There has been no punishment for an RSO level I for not submitting meeting minutes and not attending officer meetings, senator Harrison Thrasher said.
No RSO I’s have been given a warning because there have been no consequences strictly stated in the RSO binding agreements, Smith said.
RSO II’s have been put on probation for not meeting these requirements, she said.
According to the RSO binding agreements, “failure to attend these required meetings will result in a loss of funding or other sanctions, including the dissolution of the RSO.”
For being able to ask for up to $16,000 in grants and the $100 an RSO I gets, it is not a lot to ask of the RSO to attend three meetings a semester, Fink said.
The ASFLC needs to make it explicitly clear at the beginning of next term or whatever term it is put into practice what the consequences will be if RSO I’s and RSO II’s do not meet the requirements, vice president of the ASFLC Mason Shea said.