By Kate Augusto
Northeastern administrators were tight-lipped last week after word surfaced that the International Business Club could be suspended for planning an unsanctioned trip across the border.
The group, which went to Montreal during Columbus Day weekend, released a statement that said it was accused by the Office of Campus Activities of violating the Student Organization Handbook.
The handbook stipulates that the university is responsible for drawing contracts if an event requires performers, service providers or facilities like hotels.
International Business Club members said they did not use club or university funds to pay for or subsidize any part of the trip.
Nevertheless, they could still be found at fault, according to the handbook.
“Although not all acts of individual members can or should be attributed to the group,” it states, “any group or gathering of its members acting together may be considered an organization event.”
Several administrators contacted by The News refused to comment on the specifics of the case, including the final ruling, casting a greater shadow on an area of student life they acknowledge many students do not fully grasp.
“If policies are not followed, it is our responsibility to address these situations so that students can understand how critical it is for them to follow procedures,” Dean of Campus Life Marina Iannalfo said in an e-mail. “When this doesn’t happen, student groups are subject to consequences.”
Brooke Tempesta, director of student activities, said in an e-mail that she is responsible for holding hearings when disputes arise with student groups, and noted that consequences could include suspension for the group.
International Business Club members expressed skepticism about Tempesta’s role in the process, pointing to a conflict because she brought the charges against the club and also hosted the hearing.
If the group is suspended, its members would receive a sanction but could return to active status when the sanction is completed.
“We feel that a different individual should have adjudicated the case,” they said in a statement, noting that club members were cooperative with the process before they were charged, during the hearing and after the decision was made.
