Stop A&S Funding of The Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life!

Currently at USF, our student paid Activity and Service (A&S) fees are paying in upwards of a quarter million dollars to fund the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life annually. Florida law states that A&S funding "may not benefit activities for which an admission fee is charged to students" and must be used to "benefit the student body IN GENERAL."

Chris Leddy and I have done a lot of research on this issue and have found that FSU, UF, and UCF all fund their Office of Greek Life WITHOUT the use of A&S fees. We believe that this activity is completely illegal in accordance to Florida law and is ultimately fiscally irresponsible. This group is for those students who agree with our cause, Greek or Non-Greek, and wish for A&S funding of the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life to stop. We have spoken with numerous University administrators who have no real argument other than "This is the way things have been done here for a while." We have had the situation analyzed by an Attorney and Law Professor and believe we have more than sufficient legal standing. The Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life serves as a benefit ONLY to those students who are members of the Greek community and in no way uniquely benefits the "student body in general."

Keep in mind, we're not arguing the importance or necessity of Greek Life on campus, we simply believe that A&S funding of The Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life violates state law and does not provide a benefit the student body as a whole.

Florida Statutes
Title XLVIII Chapter 1009

1009.24 State university student fees.--

(10) (b) The student activity and service fees shall be expended for lawful purposes to benefit the student body in general. This shall include, but shall not be limited to, student publications and grants to duly recognized student organizations, the membership of which is open to all students at the university without regard to race, sex, or religion. The fund may not benefit activities for which an admission fee is charged to students, except for student-government-association-sponsored concerts. The allocation and expenditure of the fund shall be determined by the student government association of the university, except that the president of the university may veto any line item or portion thereof within the budget when submitted by the student government association legislative body. The university president shall have 15 school days from the date of presentation of the budget to act on the allocation and expenditure recommendations, which shall be deemed approved if no action is taken within the 15 school days. If any line item or portion thereof within the budget is vetoed, the student government association legislative body shall within 15 school days make new budget recommendations for expenditure of the vetoed portion of the fund. If the university president vetoes any line item or portion thereof within the new budget revisions, the university president may reallocate by line item that vetoed portion to bond obligations guaranteed by activity and service fees. Unexpended funds and undisbursed funds remaining at the end of a fiscal year shall be carried over and remain in the student activity and service fund and be available for allocation and expenditure during the next fiscal year.