Tilghman diverts President's Fund

Following the departure of former President Shapiro, President Tilghman's office re-examined spending records and priorities, resulting in a change in the way funds set aside for use by student groups will be allocated.

Previously, undergraduate groups seeking funding for activities would often apply for assistance from the President's Fund, a discretionary fund managed by the University president.

Tilghman, however, does not see the distribution of funds as a task in which the University president should be deeply involved.

"My motivation is to increase the quality of dialogue between the president and the student body," she said. "Ninety-nine percent of the students who came to office hours during past years were asking for money; that just doesn't seem like a good use of the president's time."

Tilghman emphasized, however, that she hopes to see the same number of students at her office hours, but to discuss different things, such as academics, campus activities, "even world news or stem cell research," she said.

In an effort to bring about this change, she has decided to transfer and evenly split $50,000 — the amount of money spent previously on student activities — between the offices of Vice President for Campus Life Janet Dickerson and Dean of the College Nancy Malkiel. They will each be able to distribute the money as they see fit in support of student programs within their respective areas.

Dickerson says she sees Tilghman's change as a positive one for students, one which "encourages a more normalized use of University resources."

While the money allocated to Dean Malkiel will be apportioned only in the academic arena — supporting senior thesis research and other academic efforts — most of Dickerson's money will be allocated to the USG Project Board and to club sports.

Through the Projects Board, a group whose principal function is to serve as the primary financial supporter of all campus events and student group activities, money will be further divided among a wide variety of student organizations.

"In my case, most of the money I am passing along to the Projects Board and to club sports so that student will be able to simply fill out an application, justify their need for the funds, and then have the money transferred in more normal ways," Dickerson said.

Though exact guidelines for Project Board funds have not yet been stipulated, Dickerson said she will create a larger umbrella fund for her office — known as the "Vice President's Venture Fund" — incorporating the new money with previously budgeted funds in support of her greater overall goals of "encouraging collaboration bet-ween different campus groups and racial and ethnic integration." According to Dickerson, it would be this Venture Fund that the Projects Board could draw upon in its work.

The changes in the process for securing funds will help students and mainly represent a transfer of funds that will simplify the process of securing needed money, said Projects Board co-chair Wade Rakes '02. The application process of the Project Board will remain the same as it always has been, Rakes said.

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"We have for many years had standing meetings on Thursday afternoons," Rakes said. "That process will continue, although members of the Projects Board, primarily the co-chairmen, are available to assist groups around the clock. We have the ability to distribute grants up to $1,000 at any time. The USG Senate must approve grants above that amount."

Even with the change in funding for the Project Board, Rakes said that there are many other sources through which students can seek backing that may be more appropriate to their particular objectives. Rakes noted the Office of the Dean of Undergraduate Studies, the Office of the Dean of Religious Life and a variety of academic departments and programs as being other possible sources from which students can seek financial assistance.