The second instalment of UTMSU club funding has been dispersed following unexpected delays.
Late last week, UTMSU notified audit-approved clubs that a second instalment cheque had been issued to the groups.
As of last Wednesday, several clubs told The Medium that they had yet to receive the second instalment of their funding.
According to Francesco Otello-DeLuca, UTMSU VP campus life, club funding was expected to be dispersed following Reading Week, but was delayed due to several clubs failing to submit their financial paperwork by the late January deadline.
Clubs receive 70% of their funding in the first term of the academic year. Clubs are then required to submit organizational finances to be audited before receiving the remaining 30% of their promised UTMSU funding.
According to Otello-DeLuca, even clubs who submitted their financial paperwork by the January deadline were delayed in receiving their funding since all disbursements are required to be collectively approved by the UTMSU board of directors.
According to UTM Debating Club president Muhammad Talha Mahmood, the debating club was notified that their financial audit had been approved on March 2. Mahmood told The Medium the delay did not exclusively prevent the club from organizing events, but said that the club did not receive enough funding in general.
Mahmood also told The Medium the delay in funding caused him to pay out of his pocket to fund various club expenses, and is expecting to use the second instalment to reimburse the expenses he incurred while waiting for additional funding.
Unlike the Debating Club, Maha Khan, president of the UTM Muslim Students’ Association, told The Medium that the MSA did not face difficulties hosting club events or activities while waiting for their remaining funding.
Ray Khan, president of ICCIT Council, informed The Medium the council received 40% of their funding in early February.
According to Otello-DeLuca, ICCIT Council is issued funding differently as a UTMSU society, rather than a UTMSU club, which was why there was a discrepancy between the disbursement dates for the council over clubs.
Otello-DeLuca told The Medium that UTMSU will consider moving the audit submission deadline to early January next year to circumvent similar delays.
