Twenty-five student groups who handed in their forms for Spring 2006 registration late were charged a $50 fee last week by Student Association Executive Vice President David Belsky and Financial Vice President Mike Zablow.

This unprecedented charge has been called a “slap on the wrist” by Belsky, who said that he could no longer tolerate groups missing the registration deadline, which was Dec. 7. The new deadline was passed as a solution earlier in the semester as a response to many groups missing the deadline in the past.

But Diane Napolitano, the chair of the S.A.’s Rules Committee, said that charging student groups for late registration was a bad idea. Although it is not expressly forbidden in the S.A. constitution, it is not included or approved of, either.

“I do not support it — at all,” Napolitano said.

The policy for late registration for student groups is outlined in Section 6 of the S.A. bylaws.

Napolitano described the policy: “If a group misses the registration deadline, their charter is suspended,” she said. That suspension can be overturned by an appeal to the rules committee. There is no fee.

Belsky said that he and Zablow came up with the late charge because so many groups who missed the deadline – like BTV and Harpur’s Ferry – were important and time-sensitive. He added that he usually extends the deadline, but that this year the charge was imposed to dissuade groups from handing in their registration forms late.

“Giving an extension is an inconvenience for us,” he said.

According to Belsky, the Financial Council has not met to approve the late fees.

Although Zablow refused to comment, Belsky said that Zablow also charges a late fee for groups who do not fill out forms correctly.

Money from these charges go into a “Leadership Programming Fund,” which will be used to pay for the S.A. Getaway — a trip which Belsky has said is for “student leaders” to gain “leadership skills.”

The Student Assembly’s budget — 35 cents from each undergrad’s approximately $78 semesterly activity fee, amounting to about $9,100 per year — already pays for similar trips, among other things.

According to Michael Schordine, last year’s executive vice president, “It doesn’t make sense for (Belsky) to be making this decision. It only hurts the smaller groups with smaller budgets.”

“It seems to me to be more of a fund raising technique,” Schordine said. “It is very bad to put the money into the S.A.’s ‘party in the Catskills’ fund.”

Belsky said that groups seemed only relieved, not angry, about having to pay the late fee.

Schordine, however, sees a legitimate case for student groups to be angry.

“In my opinion, any group who didn’t pay the fee would have an iron-clad grievance against the executive vice president and the Student Association,” he said.