After at least one year of turning a blind eye, Student Government revoked Dance Company’s organizational charter last Wednesday at the weekly SGA meeting.
Dance Company’s yearly audition process was in opposition to the SGA chartering policy that disallows organizations from turning away students, leading the Public Relations Committee to recommend removing their charter.
According to the SGA Chartering Policy (as seen in the document below), removal of an organizational charter forfeits all rights and responsibilities of a chartered organization.
Further evidence from John Stinchon, assistant director of the student center, and Jennifer Walts, vice president of public relations, shows that SGA’s executive members had previously been aware of the violation of policy, but had done nothing to change it.
According to Stinchon, Dance Company’s executive liaison, the violation “had been brought to the attention of SGA before.”
He said two student center advisers spoke with the executive board about the Dance Company issue this academic year.
Walts, a member and former treasurer of Dance Company, said she had brought up the violation of policy to Dance Company last year.
When asked why she didn’t feel responsible to make SGA aware of the policy violation, she responded: “I have such a busy agenda that it really just slipped my mind. As terrible as that is.”
Walts later said in an e-mail: “It’s important to note that anyone could have brought this to SGA’s attention. They hold tryouts semesterly which are promoted across campus, but since they are the only spirit group chartered by SGA, this policy violation went unnoticed for a bit longer than usual.”
Dance Company has been a student organization for 23 years, and The Chronicle has reports of auditions dating back to at least 2002.
According to Dance Company President Danielle DiCarlo, Dance Company will not apply to regain their charter.
“It would not be in our best interest to get rid of our auditions,” DiCarlo said in an e-mail.
SGA could not report when the inclusion policy for chartered organizations was first implemented. The Chronicle attempted to reach Associate Dean of Student Affairs Monique Drucker, but she is currently on an extended leave.
Stay with The Chronicle for more on this developing story.
Below is SGA’s Chartering Policy. See Article II, Section II for the reason behind Dance Company’s charter removal.
angry • Apr 5, 2010 at 7:19 pm
My problem is that, to me, this all seems a bit unethical. If Jen Waltz was elected as VP of Public relations, was it not her responsiblity to ensure that organizations are following the chartering rules? Great, she brought this violation to the E-board of Dance Co. and they did nothing. Now, as the VP she needs to ENFORCE the rules, not just let it slide because they did nothing to change it. In my opinion, because she was a member of Dance Co. she’d rather not allow the charter be revoked, and therefore did not bring it to the rest of her ‘cabinet’.
to say you were too ‘busy’ is bull. it is YOUR responsibility to handle your duties. if you were overwhelmed with Big Event stuff and could not carry out your job, then maybe you should’ve asked for help! VP’s of Public Relations, in the past, were probably not under the same circumstances as Jen being in the club violating the rules. Therefore, it probably was not as obvious. but for you to be a member, see these violations and do NOTHING to fix it is crap!
loud • Mar 31, 2010 at 7:43 pm
You’re right. SGA does have bigger things on their mind. Take running your school for instance. You think that’s easy? If you think you can do a better job, then run for SGA instead of bashing it! I would like to see you try to do half the things they do and still have time to be as involved in other organizations as they are. Something small like this slipped through the cracks. Big deal. It’s not like they’re sitting around doing nothing. They’re planning events to make this campus a better place and make a difference in the community around us. Don’t bash Jen Walts. She did nothing wrong. She’s following the rules of SGA while also planning one of the biggest, most important events that Quinnipiac has ever seen. She’s an amazing person.
Gloria • Mar 31, 2010 at 10:27 am
I think i’ll start up my own club and break the rules too, it’s not like SGA will care/take notice/do anything about it for a decade anyway. they obviously have much bigger things on their minds than upholding their own rules.
Rahh • Mar 31, 2010 at 7:28 pm
If you’re not on SGA you do not know the kinds of things they do. They don’t just sit around drinking coffee all day they basically RUN this school. Elections, programs, speakers, graduation, overseeing every club & organization (which we have over 75 of), & dealing with everyday politics, classes, & life. Try walking a day in the shoes of a member of SGA & see how long you’ll last.
irrelevant • Mar 31, 2010 at 6:48 am
This is a mockery of our school. To run this as a breaking and developing story and to blame a single person for EIGHT YEARS of this “transgretion” is absolutely ridiculous. What has happened here is that an organization that falls somewhere between organization and team sport was forced to conform to rules that would either leave it weighed down with unexperienced members or in violation of school code. With a school that has so many developing problems due to growth, student involvement, and actual meaningful acheivement (speaking in broad terms of course) to run a story about an organization that has held tryouts for almost a decade as a breaking news story and an intentional act of disrespect to the school is irresponsible journalism. Perhaps this is why the school’s news outlets are not respected by students. Also, in an unrelated note, Jen Walts is literally the best person ever.
Jacobb G. • Mar 31, 2010 at 9:40 am
Your entire argument lost all it’s credibility with your last sentence.
Bias much?
Rahh • Mar 31, 2010 at 7:26 pm
Do you not know Jen Walts? Are you aware of what she does for this campus? Ever hear of a little thing called Orientation? She ran it like a champ last year. Have you heard of the Big Event? SHE came up with that idea. She might not be quite on the level of Mother Theresa but she certainly has contributed a lot to this school.
seriously? • Mar 31, 2010 at 10:13 am
How long the organization has been breaking the rules is irrelevant. It just means that it didn’t get realized. But they got caught violating the rules.
Just because their charter was revoked doesn’t mean they have to be disbanded. They can do what the other similar groups do. Pay/raise the money themselves.
Rawr • Mar 29, 2010 at 8:12 pm
The Dance Company knew full well that they had been against Charter for years but their own eboard wouldn’t do anything about it. Don’t blame or call out SGA/Jen Walts or say that they are only looking out for SGA because wasn’t Dance Co. just looking out for Dance Co.? The charter is revoked and Dance Co. will just have to deal with it and I know that they will handle it and come out of this little set back just fine.
Jacob • Mar 29, 2010 at 7:58 pm
You know what’s funny? Joe Pelletier wasn’t even at that SGA meeting. Hilarious.
Andrew Vazzano • Mar 29, 2010 at 8:08 pm
Jacob:
The minutes of the weekly SGA meetings are available to any QU student. The Chronicle also had a writer at the meeting, as we do with every SGA meeting.
Steff • Mar 29, 2010 at 6:56 pm
Broski’s got it right – the PR Committee has tackled much bigger challenges this year, most specifically the big event. Sure, this has been going on since before last spring – so why’s Jen taking the fall for something that’s been going on for 23 years? Seems like this has been an oversight that’s gone without remedy for a while, not like an intentional “turning of the cheek” as insinuated in this article. The moment it was brought to the attention of the committee, they remedied the situation. Pure and simple.
And, for the record, if any of you would care to look at past minutes and records of special appeals – the only opportunity Greek organizations have to request any money/assistance from SGA – you’d notice that oftentimes they are turned down.
Broski • Mar 29, 2010 at 6:01 pm
Yeah sorry for letting this minor inconvenience slip, it’s not like Jen Walts and the entire PR committee have been planning the Big Event or anything since last spring…keeping an eye out for charters is way more important, way to keep an eye out for this HUGE scandal…See you at the Big Event if you’re even signed up
Jacobb G. • Mar 29, 2010 at 6:14 pm
Uh, this has been going on for well over a year. Much further back than “last spring.”
Broski • Mar 29, 2010 at 6:28 pm
No doubt, and clearly the entire SGA hasn’t done anything about it. It’s unfair to attack Walts, who admitted to bringing it up to Dance Co, but they did nothing to change. And when Walts says says ‘she’s busy’ it’s because ever since she was elected last spring she’s been planning and executing what is probably the biggest event our school will ever see. This is just a little slip up that SGA is taking fault for, and it has been dealt with accordingly. Mistakes happen.
Heidi • Mar 29, 2010 at 5:39 pm
How is SGA looking out for SGA? I think it takes guts for Jen Walts to risk angering an organization she’s involved with and putting what’s right first.
Concerned Student • Mar 29, 2010 at 4:18 pm
Another example of SGA only looking out for SGA.
hmm • Mar 29, 2010 at 4:35 pm
Don’t forget greek life…or are they considered one and the same now?
Andrew • Mar 29, 2010 at 5:06 pm
What about Greek Life? They don’t receive funding from SGA.
Andrew Vazzano • Mar 29, 2010 at 5:09 pm
Hmm and Andrew:
Correct. Greek Life does not receive money from SGA, and therefore, they are not held to the SGA Charter.
hmm • Mar 29, 2010 at 9:39 pm
I stand corrected and appreciate you clearing this up.
Nick • Mar 29, 2010 at 10:33 pm
To “concerned student”,
you have no idea what you are talking about. It’s ok though, we forgive you. We don’t expect you to know everything that we do for the students, or to even care. Oh, and Jen Walts is a Saint, anyone who says otherwise is clearly out of touch with reality.
Jacobb G. • Mar 29, 2010 at 4:01 pm
Wow.