UB’s Student Association formally derecognized 17 permanent clubs at an SA Senate meeting last week.
The decision came after the SA first announced pending derecognition for clubs whose allocated budgets were frozen last semester due to lack of university recognition.
The then-28 clubs were given until the start of the spring semester to re-register with the university and meet SA club requirements. The 17 clubs that have since failed to do so either have been effectively dissolved or had their budgets terminated.
SA Vice President Montana Desabio, the principal supervisor for SA club activity, says the clubs in question were deemed inactive after failing to host an on-campus event for two years or provide an e-board update verifying the club officer requirements.
An SA item document also outlined club members’ failure to attend club orientation and not maintain an active membership of at least 10 undergraduate students as grounds for derecognition.
Desabio acknowledged the impact of COVID-19 coupled with outgoing graduations on depleting SA clubs’ e-boards and disrupting operations.
The SA revised its mandatory club training and referred students interested in founding redundant clubs to take over an existing club’s budget to address the burgeoning issue last semester.
“We did reach out on campus to see if anyone would want to take over the clubs,” DeSabio said. “We gave them a full semester and they did not. So that’s where we are.”
The full list of derecognized clubs is as follows:
Arts and Crafts
Japanese SA
UB Poets
Polish SA
Thai SA
PODER Latinos Unidos
College Republicans
Sci-Fi and Fantasy Club
United Nations SA
Dancesport
Pro DJs
Smash Club
Swing Dance
Pharmacology and Toxicology Club
Student Affiliates of the American Chemical Society
Breakdance Club
Culinary Club
Kyle Nguyen is an assistant news/features editor and can be reached at kyle.nguyen@ubspectrum.com
Kyle Nguyen is a senior news/features editor at The Spectrum.
