Memo to SGA: Show students the money

This may be one of the few editions of the Crier that the student body will see this year. Why? Funding cuts. The Crier is one of the many clubs that did not receive enough funding to run for the entire academic year. It seemed odd that the College cannot fund its own clubs, so the Crier investigated the funding process.

Basically, it breaks down like this: Student Government Association (SGA) receives a portion of the student activity fee, which is part of the tuition package. It amounts to $215 for this academic year. Those funds are then distributed to different clubs in the appropriations process. Clubs apply for funding and then SGA decides who receives which funds. The student activity fee also goes to the upkeep of the Carr Center and Sullivan Arena, both of which are used by students.

Kevin Ward, vice president of SGA '12, says the reason for the severe cuts can be traced to an increase in clubs on campus: "SGA only gets a piece of the pie. There was an increase in clubs without an increase in the pie."

Ward also noted that SGA is the last campus group to receive funds. "All our resources go to the clubs. They come first. SGA receives the remainder."

Campus Activities Board, which is the programming branch of SGA, receives the greatest amount of funds, but Ward said he was not sure how much they received for this year. He did note that SGA itself received a cut in funds.

Still, it is a serious concern that SGA does not have enough funding to give clubs an adequate amount of money to function. There are roughly 2,000 students on this campus. Multiply that number by $215 and the total funding is $430,000. Almost half a million dollars, and student clubs do not receive enough funding? Something isn't right here.

The Crier tried to attain a copy of SGA's appropriations budget, but the SGA Treasurer, Andrew Marden '12, did not respond to Crier information requests until immediately before this article was sent to print, despite several attempts to contact him. When he did get in touch with the Crier, he said this, "The break down of what each club received is not available to the general public. This is because it is the clubs private information for what [funds] they were appropriated. The whole senate does receive a breakdown in order to approve the budget, but they are not at liberty to discuss those numbers with the student body."

He also added that, while there is no set priority in funding, a major factor in SGA's fund distribution is the ability of clubs to reach a majority of students in a positive manner.

Dean Alicia Finn, advisor to SGA, was contacted early last week and was also unavailable for comment on the matter.

Sources from inside SGA say that transparency is an issue that ought to be addressed. Last year, members of SGA tried to pass a bill that would make SGA activities, including funding, available to all students. "I was told that it would reveal too much," says one source. Another source was told, "Because St. A's is a private institution, organizations within it are not necessarily obligated to release that type of information."

The problem with this is attitude is that SGA is working with student money, and its disbursement is student business.

Students, and their parents, should know where their money is being spent. Even if the money is not going to student clubs, it should be public information as to where that money goes and how it is benefiting students.

Despite Ward's assertion that, "During appropriations, several people are present including the presidents of SGA, the SGA treasurer, the class treasurers, Secretary of Club Affairs, Dean Finn, and the Director of Student Activities," outside of SGA itself, not many others in the administration are aware of what the budget consists of or how it is broken down. Key administrators in the College seem to be unaware of how the SGA student budget works. It seems that only the SGA advisor and the treasurer know the distribution of funds and the final budget.

If St. Anselm wants to foster an active student body it is essential that they support their clubs with adequate funding. With an already apathetic student body, one would think the College would want to encourage and ensure the students who are involved in clubs will continue their efforts. This must become a priority.