Shapiro's successor to shape fund's future

For University students seeking funding for special projects, the search for money can seem endless. For some, the one place they can get the funding they need is from the President's Discretionary Fund.

The fund is an endowment established "a long time ago . . . at least a generation ago" by an anonymous donor and added to over the years by alumni donations, said President Shapiro.

But with Shapiro's resignation at the end of the year, the responsibility for distributing the money — on which some student groups have come to depend — will fall to the next president.

Though the president awards the funding on a one-time basis, groups like the Chicano Caucus and the Third World Center have received funding over several years, reapplying each year.

Shapiro's successor, however, will not have any obligation to fund ongoing projects.

The president distributes the fund for two main purposes — to fund unusual student activities that could not otherwise obtain money and to help staff and faculty cope with an illness or other critical problem.

Approximately 80 percent of the money in the fund goes to students. It often supplements funding from the USG Projects Board or the Dean of Undergraduate Students.

If the University has not selected a new president by the fall of 2001, the fund will be administered by whoever is serving as acting-president, according to Marcia Snowden, assistant to the president.

Snowden said since Shapiro had offered to stay on next year if a new president has not been selected at that time, he might continue to administer the fund. "There will be someone," Snowden said.

Ben Lehrer '02 received $1,000 from the fund to create a short film about life in Los Angeles titled "Dashboard." The balance of the movie's budget was financed by private gifts and by Lehrer himself.

Before approaching Shapiro, Lehrer said he "must've tried like 35 people in the college," but he was turned down by them all.

But Shapiro came through for him. "I'm very grateful to President Shapiro," said Lehrer. "As a student who is concerned about social issues on campus — issues with performing arts space and diversity — I'm very impressed that he was so responsive."

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There are no restrictions on how the president distributes the fund. "That's why it's called the President's Discretionary Fund," Shapiro said.

These activities include championship tours for club sport teams, documentaries and new student organizations.

As word of Shapiro's largess spreads, more and more students are approaching him with funding requests, and it is likely that they will approach Shapiro's successor as well.

"I'll just have to divide it up into smaller amounts," Shapiro said.