Non-repayable extraordinary support for student associations

Student Corporation

9 April 2020

Decision nr. D-0420-04

 

The Student Council, at its meeting of 7 April 2020, has decided – in the name of the Corporation itself – to grant an extraordinary non-repayable contribution to recognised student associations who shall apply for it within 10 days of the publication of this Decision (by e-mail to: [email protected]). The amount will be 200-250 CHF for each association, depending on the number of applications and in any case up to a maximum total amount of 2'000 CHF; those associations that have already received support from the Corporation on specific projects may receive a contribution of 100 CHF maximum and only if the applications from the other associations have not exceeded the available budget. The amount shall be granted in the form of an claim that can be collected at the time and in the form agreed. The Council supports this contribution because of the timing and context in which the Corporation has taken its first steps and with the aim of encouraging student associations to contribute to the "post-COVID-19".

 

Details of the Decision
The support decided by the Student Council has basically three reasons. The first one is to compensate for the "hectic" start that the work of the Corporation has sustained and the initial uncertainty about some of its mechanisms, in particular direct democracy, which may have held back some student associations from making proposals. The second reason is to mitigate what might have been a "COVID-19 effect", i.e. the fact that some associations might have been discouraged from submitting projects in the light of a presumable (and then confirmed) impossibility to organize events during the semester. The third reason, again taking into account the COVID-19 situation, is to encourage all student associations to contribute, hopefully by joining forces, to "restart" life on campus at the end of the emergency.

 

Remarks
The contribution is granted on a one-off and extraordinary basis. For the Mendrisio campus, in this case OSA, with its "chapters", is considered as a single association.

 

Decision procedure
The Decision was taken by the Student Council unanimously with regards to the principle and by majority with regards the amount.

 

Deadline for Student Referendum
The deadline to launch a Student Referendum against this Decision is April 23, 2020.