The University of Chicago

BSD Dean's Council

Guidelines for Spending Dean’s Council Funds

Last Updated: November 2024

The following rules apply to individual departments and inter-departmental groups seeking to apply for or spend Dean’s Council funding.

GENERAL SPENDING GUIDELINES/BYLAWS

  1. Members of the Dean’s Council or other students who wish to use Dean’s Council General Fund funds must seek approval in advance. For the General Fund (events open to >5 BSD grad programs), the Dean’s Council must approve the expenditure. For graduate program funds, the members of the graduate program(s) involved must approve. Typically, an informal vote/approval is adequate to approve an event. Any proposals for event funding received will be held and reviewed until the following scheduled DC’s meeting to be reviewed. Please note that it will take 2-3 days after the meeting to have a final decision. If you are planning an event that occurs before the next DC’s meeting, please reach out to the DC’s chairs for further assistance. 
  2. DC will regularly fund guests at divisional events. A guest is someone attending an event in the company of a BSD student. DC will generally fund one guest per student. The amount of the guest’s subsidy will depend on the type and cost of each event and will be decided on an event-by-event basis.
  3. There are no refunds for unused tickets purchased by a graduate program or student.
  4. The purpose of the Dean’s Council is to bring students together. Graduate program/divisional money is to be mainly used for activities. All students in the graduate program/division funding the event must be invited and informed in advance.
  5. Any purchase of material goods must be approved by the students of the graduate program/division providing the funding. All material goods purchased with DC funds become the property of the funding graduate program/division.
  6. Dean’s Council representatives may be reimbursed for expenses incurred while fulfilling their duties. Representatives seeking such reimbursement should receive approval from the Dean’s Council before spending the money, or the reimbursement may not be approved.
  7. Dean’s Council may amend spending guidelines in the event of dire circumstances (i.e. COVID-19)

You can spend money on:

  1. Events for your entire program.
    • This means that the event must be advertised and reasonably accessible to your entire program. Events do not have to be attended by your entire department.
    • In the case of larger events, funded through the general fund, this means the events must be advertised and reasonably accessible to the entire BSD. In the case of events with limited space (ticketed events), this means the events must be advertised to the entire BSD. A raffle, first-come-first-served, etc can then be used to decide who will receive the tickets.
  2. Materials common to your whole department to be stored in common spaces.

You cannot spend money on:

  1. No hard liquors (NO mixed drinks/vodka/tequila/whisky/gin/rum/etc. YES wine/beer)
  2. No gift cards or cash equivalents.
  3. No clothing or swag to be given to individuals (unless merchandise is a part of a community-building event).

To spend your funds:

  1. You can apply for funding using the form on the DC website.
  2. We encourage everyone to use the GEMS card to pay for their approved events to avoid the need for direct reimbursement. You can ask your program administrator for the GEMS card.
  3. If you need reimbursement, please complete the form on the DC website.