The Exponent - campus


09-30-2004	Previous edition: 09-29-2004

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Bye-bye clubs

By Liz Bower
Campus Editor

More than 150 student organizations could be deactivated at 4 p.m. on Friday.

Pablo Malavenda, associate dean of students, said a final warning was sent on Wednesday to organizations that were at risk.

There are two reasons organizations can be deactivated: if an election report and officers list has not been submitted or if its constitution has not been updated, Malavenda said.

If an organization becomes deactivated it loses all privileges granted to student organizations, Malavenda said.

It will not be able to reserve University facilities, its Purdue Web site will be shut down and it will be taken off the master list of student organizations.

"We are not in the business of activating or deactivating (student organizations); when you set minimum requirements it is only fair for the ones that are in compliance," Malavenda said.

In 2001 the University added a non-discrimination policy to the University regulations and the members of the Office of the Dean of Students realized they did not require student organizations to update their constitutions accordingly. They found that some were old originals that had never been updated. During the 2003-2004 school year organizations received a notice that they had to update their constitutions by April. The office extended the deadline to the summer and then at an assembly on Sept. 20 the organizations were given two more weeks to submit the necessary documents.

"We have used every means of communications; we have mailed, emailed, called, put it on the Web site and announced it at a program. Now it is the point where we are left with one last option— to take away their privileges."

Katherine Healy, president of College Mentors for Kids, said she was not adequately informed about the deadline.

"I just was not aware the deadline was this Friday," said Healy, a senior in the School of Consumer and Family Sciences. "I check our email three times a day and this was the first email we got."

Although Interfraternity Council received an email, Tim Jones, president of IFC, said it should be off the list by today.

"We submitted (our constitution) last April and it got lost; it is a matter of resubmitting it," said Jones, a senior in the School of Industrial Engineering.

Malavenda said he and his colleagues would be more than willing to work with an organization at any point to get it reactivated. For each of the last five years, close to 100 organizations have been deactivated in the fall and by April there are more than 100 new or reactivated groups, he said.

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Bye-bye clubs

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Purdue threatens student organizations with deactivation

CAMPUS DESK PHONE:
(765) 743-1111 ext. 253

Campus editor: Brent Forgues

Assistant Campus editors:
Alysha Daytner, Ben Steckler

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