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Executives leave approval to AMS Council
The Alma Mater Society (AMS) received a transfer request from the Social Justice Centre (an AMS Resource Group) to Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights (SPHR), which is an AMS Club, to donate $700 for a flotilla to Gaza. Due to complaints that the SJC had not followed its own constitution and since petitions were made to allow AMS Council to exercise its jurisdiction over Clubs and Resource groups, AMS Executives decided to leave the approval of the transfer to AMS Council.
It is important to note that this decision is not outside of the norm. This year, the AMS Executives froze accounts of about twenty student groups under the AMS because those groups were alleged to be in violation of AMS rules and procedures. These accounts were unfrozen as soon as the issues were addressed.
We have confirmed that our action does not create a financial hardship for either the SJC or SPHR. We have been told that the flotilla does not leave until Spring 2011, and the $700 donation is part of the total budget of about $300,000.
The AMS Executives do not believe it is prudent to authorize an irreversible financial transaction when requests have been made to allow AMS Council to exercise its duly given jurisdiction on this matter, especially when an investigation is taking place. We have a responsibility to ensure that student fees are handled with due diligence, and we apply the principle of due process equally to all constituencies, clubs and resource groups.
The AMS respects the autonomy that is given to our student groups within our rules. AMS Executives have a fiduciary duty to exercise due diligence in handling student fees that AMS collects, and AMS Council has the final jurisdiction on resolution of matters relating to such fees.AMS Council is expected to discuss the issue at its December 1 meeting, and we look forward to a timely resolution of this matter.