The Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate's forum yesterday was just one facet of a broader campaign to garner input from students on how it should make use of the more than $700,000 it has recovered from the embezzlement scandal.
"These funds really belong to the student body, not just to the Senate. We're trying to play a leading role in figuring out what to do with the funds," TCU President Duncan Pickard said.
"The administration has promised us that the money is being returned with no strings attached, and it's up to the Senate to spend the money as we see fit," TCU Treasurer Matthew Shapanka added. He said that could mean budgeting part of it and saving the rest.
A section of the Senate's Web site provides background on the funds, lists projects they could go toward and explains the ways students can provide feedback.
Pickard sent the student body a mass e-mail on Oct. 8 stating, "It is my goal that we will have a campus-wide conversation about what to do with this money." He said the Senate has already gotten over 50 responses to the e-mail.
The ultimate aim is to develop a plan — or multiple plans — that can be put to a Senate vote or a student referendum.
In addition to yesterday's forum, a second town hall meeting has been scheduled for Nov. 13 in Hotung Café.
The Senate has been encouraging students to come to senators' office hours, or to make their opinions heard by directly e-mailing senators.
"The [Senate's] Allocations Board is reaching out to all of our student groups," Shapanka said.
Attempting to expand student involvement, the Senate has also set up a Facebook.com group for online discussion.
"I heard about it on Facebook. Actually, I got an invite from one of the Senate members," freshman Sarah Rauh said.
Using the group, which has approximately 500 members, students have called for a variety of initiatives ranging from campus-wide wireless Internet access to broader handicap accessibility.
The recovered funds are restitution for the nearly $1 million that former Office of Student Activities employees Jodie Nealley and Ray Rodriguez allegedly embezzled.
The Senate received a check for $902,338 last month and has $714,291.72 left after forgiving the debts of six student groups, three of which the body believes were directly embezzled from.
The Senate feels comfortable spending the available money since it operates on a year to year basis. According to Shapanka, the Treasury normally maintains a year-end surplus of between $50,000 and $200,000, and directly allocates the rest of the over $1 million that come in annually from the Student Activities Fee.
Since the Treasury is fiscally sound this year, Shapanka said the Senate considers it misguided to guard a surplus of over $700,000. "It's not in line with the zero-based budgeting principle," he said.
