Georgetown University Transportation Shuttle weekend services face an uncertain future due to a possible lack of funding for the coming academic year.

According to Director of Student Affairs Erika Cohen-Derr and SAC Vice-Chair Harrison Holcomb (NHS ’11), the Student Activities Commission’s Alumni Gift Account, which funds the weekend shuttles, is almost depleted.

The SAC Alumni Gift Account consists of alumni donations to the general category of student activities. In 2006, funds from the account were designated to be allocated to a three-year GUTS weekend funding contract, which costs about $20,000 a year to operate.

“The money that was originally requested from that account is almost entirely used up, meaning that the expanded weekend GUTS bus service campus has enjoyed over the past few years may have to be curtailed, if we cannot devise a workable solution to pay for it,” Holcomb said.

For the weekend GUTS buses to continue operating, another source of financing will need to be identified, according to Cohen-Derr.

“In the coming year, [SAC and GUSA] will have to decide if they want to continue to pursue the program and find sufficient sources of funding,” she said.

According to Holcomb, SAC was unaware of the current state of the account until this week.

“It was always known that the money would run out, but from SAC’s and possibly [Georgetown University Student Association’s] perspective, we were taken by surprise,” Holcomb said.

Holcomb said he sees the account’s balance as an example of the failures of institutional memory at Georgetown due to frequent administrative and student group turnover.

“Things can kind of get lost in the shuffle,” he said.

GUSA President Calen Angert (MSB ’11) said, “We are going to try to figure out how to fund this thing.”

Angert stressed that ultimately GUSA would poll the students to see if there was a continued interest in the weekend shuttle, though he reaffirmed his commitment to maintaining the service.

“We are going to try to make sure that this won’t be shut down. This is a top priority,” Angert said.

Thomas Christiansen (SFS ’13) said that he enjoys the weekend shuttles, despite the scarce service that already is in effect. If such weekend service was cut, however, he said, “Personally, I’d be offended, as I enjoy the free and easy service.”

Lynne Hirschfeld, the associate dean of finance and administration for student affairs, who allocates student activities funding, could not be reached for comment.