The Brandeis University Student Union is currently operating without a treasurer, according to Union officials.
The student elected to the Treasurer position during Spring Union elections last semester, Harrison Chizik 07, resigned over the summer, according to an Aug. 31 email sent by Union Secretary Alex Braver '09 to the student body.
Union President Alison Schwartzbaum 08 maintains that the Union is functioning properly despite the absence of its treasurer. The student body needs to know that [the absence] is not a catastrophe. Its unfortunate, and means more work for us.
Schwartzbaum claims that all clubs will be financed without delay until a new treasurer can be elected in Fall elections, which are to occur Sept. 13-15.
The responsibilities of the Union Treasurer are currently being handled by President Schwartzbaum, Director of Executive Affairs Adam Gartner 07 and the Union Financial Board (F-Board).
The Union Treasurer has several responsibilities, including communication between the Executive Board (E-Board) and F-Board, shaping F-Board policy, and writing and signing Union checks, according to Schwartzbaum.
Union officials said that due to the vacancy, communication between the E-Board and the F-Board is currently being done through Schwartzbaum.
Recent changes to the union constitution regarding club financing may have made it easier than before for the union to operate without a treasurer. The changes have transformed F-board members into mini-treasurers, said Schwartzbaum. The F-board is taking care of more responsibilities, she said.
When asked how the absence of the treasurer would affect changes to the disbursement of the Student Activities Fee (SAF) as approved by the student body last semester, officials suggested changes will continue as planned. The implementation is a process, said Gartner.
Schwartzbaum said that the newly-appointed F-Board has been trained by university budget analyst Steve Costa this week to use financial software. “Its the first time in recent memory that weve had such extensive training, said Schwartzbaum.