EKU Grappling Club v. Student Senate

Facts of the case:

On Tuesday. February 26, 2013, the Student Senate of Eastern Kentucky University held its biannual appropriations meeting, in which it granted funding to several Registered Student Organizations (RSOs). As a result of the procedure followed by the Student Senate, there was a small number of the procedure followed by the Student Senate, there was a small number of RSOs that did not receive any funding because the Senate’s Appropriations funds were exhausted all but $1.80 of the funds available, before those RSOs were considered.

One of the RSOs that was not considered before the Senate Body, the EKU Grappling Club, filed an appeal with the Student Court on Wednesday, February 27, 2013. The Student Court, after receiving the original hearing request, unanimously decided to hear the case. The Court, as well as both parties, decided to hold the hearing on Monday, March 4, 2013 at 4PM. Due to illness, one of the parties, the Court recessed at 4:13PM. The Court and all parties agreed to reconvene on Wednesday, March 6, 4:30PM.

In their original hearing request, First Sergeant Richard Sirry, on behalf of the EKU Grappling Club, stated that “[...] not being able to address the Student Council (SIC) about our budget plan was to me unfair [...] We were slotted to address the council last but never got the chance because the money was already slotted to other clubs/organizations by the time it was our turn. To me this should have been done after hearing all parties involved then go back and make decisions on who gets what monies.” The Student Court went into deliberation and considered several questions.

Questions:

Did the EKU Grappling Club have a sponsoring senator?

Did the Special Committee on Appropriations properly review and rank the RSOs’ funding application packets?

Are all RSOs who properly apply for funding entitled to 30 seconds of speaking before the Senate Body, as is outlined in the funding application packet that the organizations agreed to the terms of and submitted?

Did the EKU Grappling club fulfill its duties in the appropriations process.

Answer:

In a unanimous decision by the Student Court, ruled in favor of the EKU Grappling club. The Court, after receiving evidence of such, found that the sponsoring senator for the EKU Grappling Club was senator Christopher Thurman. The Court could not determine whether senator Thurman fulfilled his duties as a sponsoring senator due to the lack of guidelines for sponsoring senators. The Court also decided that the Special Committee on Appropriations did properly review and rank the RSO’s funding application packets. The Court found that the EKU Grappling Clubs packet was incomplete and as such, it was their responsibility too. The Court furthered this opinion by stating that even if the packet had been complete, it would not have helped the EKU Grappling Club. However, the Student Court also agreed unanimously that the Student Senate did not fulfill its obligations in that the Senate did not follow proper procedures in the appropriations process. The Court decided that the Student Senate must reconsider the funds appropriated and must rehear every organization on the ranking in accordance with the procedures outlined in Article VI of the Student Senate bylaws.