Late Motion Passed to Authorise S$200,000 From NTUSU Reserved Fund for NTU Fest

Posted On 15 Aug 2014

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NTUSU council members voted for the release of NTUSU Reserved Fund to “co-support” NTU Fest’s general expenses.

By Louisa Tang, News Editor & Liu Ting Ting, Chief Editor

A NTU Fest ticket collection booth was set up outside South Spine yesterday. Photo: NTU Fest Facebook page

RAISING FUNDS: An NTU Fest ticket collection booth was set up outside the South Spine yesterday.
PHOTO: NTU FEST FACEBOOK PAGE

(Update: NTUSU’s and school’s responses)

The NTU Students’ Union (NTUSU) Council passed a motion on Tuesday to allow up to S$200,000 from the NTUSU Reserved Fund (RF) to support the “rising general expenses” of NTU Fest, which takes place tomorrow.

The motion — tabled by NTUSU’s Honorary Financial Secretary Mr Agung Purnomo Sendy — convened a “paper meeting” last week in lieu of a physical meeting due to insufficient time. Council members were given until 10am on Saturday, 9 August, 2014 to cast their votes electronically.

The presidents of the University’s 14 Academic Constituent Clubs, presidents and vice presidents of the Non-Academic Constituent Clubs, and members of the NTUSU Executive Committee form the NTUSU Council.

The Nanyang Chronicle understands the motion was passed with 64 per cent of the council voting in favour.

Council members were told a vote of at least 50 per cent was required for the motion to carry.

The NTUSU RF is a stand-alone fund constituted from the one-time, compulsory entrance fee paid by every freshman entering NTU to become a union member. The RF has previously been used for buying assets, equipment, and funding worthwhile university-wide projects to benefit students.

The one-time, compulsory entrance fee in 2013 was S$10.70. According to NTUSU, the university takes in an average of 6,000 undergraduates per year. This would bring the average total sum collected annually to S$64,200.

While the NTUSU Constitution requires any special or supplementary grants application by the council to be approved by the Students’ Affairs Office, there is no such requirement for the use of the RF, which does not receive university funding.

In response to queries, Mr Agung said, “sponsorships for the event are still streaming in, (and) whether or how much of SU funds will be needed is still not confirmed at the moment.”

However, an earlier question-and-answer email circulated among council members revealed that queries were raised about the disbursement process and the validity of the withdrawal request.

In an email response to the Nanyang Chronicle’s queries, NTUSU President Mr Nico Dharmawan, on behalf of the NTUSU Executive Committee, reiterated that “the Students’ Union Council had voted to use SU funds to show our support and for contingency purposes as this is the first time the Students Union is organising an event of such a big scale”.

However, he also assured that “nothing has been disbursed at this moment and as fundraising is ongoing and sponsors and donors are still coming in, we do not know if any money or how much will be used.”

NTU’s Associate Professor Kwok Kian Woon, Associate Provost (Student Life), also said in a statement this evening that “latest indications show that the event will be underwritten by contributions from sponsors, partners, donors, NTU alumni and NTU which are still streaming in.

Prof Kwok added that “it is very unlikely that the Students’ Council will need to use its funds”.

NTU Fest is an initiative by NTU students to raise money for an endowment fund for needy Institute of Technical Education (ITE) students. The inaugural event, which includes a 4.8-kilometre run and features celebrity appearances by Korean artistes Kang Gary and Jung In, has already raised over $100,000. The fundraiser starts tomorrow afternoon at 2pm at the Padang.

First published: 06:13
Updated: 19:36

*In this update, the Nanyang Chronicle has revised the total sum of entrance fee collected from S$92,704.80 to S$64,200; this is after that the NTUSU clarified that the university takes in an average of 6,000 undergraduates per year. The Nanyang Chronicle wishes to apologise for this error.