Clarification on LDOC committee funding

The Dec. 2 article “LDOC budget set at $20,000” includes several misleading points about the nature of the Last Day of Classes committee and its funding structure.

LDOC itself is not a direct branch of any major organization, but is instead a freestanding committee under the joint oversight of the Duke University Union and Campus Council. Since its formalization in 2006, the LDOC committee draws a direct allocation from the Student Activities Fee. In addition to this allocation, the LDOC committee may fundraise to fulfill any unmet need.

In accordance with its mission and past precedence, the Duke University Union board voted to sponsor this years’ event in the amount of $20,000 broken into two parts: a $15,000 cash allocation and a $5,000 optional loan to be paid back from next years’ LDOC fee allocation. These measures are still pending the approval of the Union’s oversight board. This amount is by no means the complete budget as the article implies, but is simply one of many sponsorships that LDOC will likely receive this year. Campus Council voted on its sponsorship Thursday.

There was also confusion about the debt incurred from last years’ LDOC celebrations. For a number of reasons, the committee overspent its budget in excess of $13,000, which was covered by a zero-interest loan from DUU. This loan has since been paid back in full. Due to the financial hardship that this repayment caused, the aforementioned $5,000 loan was offered to spread the burden over two years instead of one. While this does mean that LDOC this year will start with less than is customary, we have full confidence that the celebrations will be as great as ever. In this time of increased financial scrutiny, those in charge of the event understand the need for responsible and sustainable spending.

Zachary Perret Trinity ‘10 President, Duke University Union

Elizabeth Turner and Christie Falco Trinity ‘10 Co-chairs, LDOC Committee

Stephen Temple Trinity, ‘11 President, Campus Council