In their first meeting of the Spring 2023 semester, the Slippery Rock Student Government Association (SRSGA) approved the 2023-24 budget of $2.5 million.
The budget is a capstone for how much SRSGA can delegate in an academic year. This budget comes from student’s activity fees and other income such as ticket sales, interest and shuttle contributions.
The SRSGA Finance Committee balances the budget based on tuition and class size. A tuition freeze and similar class size have kept the budget the same since the 2021-22 academic year. These are the most recent numbers they have since we are still in the 2022-23 year.
SRU’s tuition also has not raised since the 2018-19 academic year.
The Finance Committee expects an increased number of student organizations submitting funding requests but feels there is no need to increase the budget.
In the 2021-22 academic year, $2,390,367 of the funds delegated to clubs and campus organizations came from student’s activity fees, and $72,432 came from other sources. The actual expenses for the year were $2,405,095 according to the SRSGA finance report.
SRSGA also passed a conference grant and two funding requests.
The SRU Pennsylvania Collegiate Music Educators Association (PCMEA) applied for a $500 conference grant to take 72 members to the Pennsylvania Music Educators Conference.
SRU’s PCMEA has previously attended, and the trip was highly recommended by the department. Students pay a $30 entry fee and fund themselves throughout the trip. The grant will be split among the 72 equaling $6.94 per student according to the finance report.
The Between Two Trees/Slackline and Hammock club requested $1,800 to hold slacklining and rock-climbing at McConnell’s Mill State Park. The venue offered them a discount, and this request will be used to cover attendance costs. Between Two Trees plans to take 30 people at $60 per person.
Between Two Trees has been a club since before the COVID-19 pandemic. This is their first SRSGA funding request since returning.
Not all SRSGA senators supported the motion’s passing. About three senators, led by College of Liberal Arts Senator Amanda Brock, rose concerns about safety with slacklining and rock-climbing and their request for $60 per person.
“I personally am having some hesitation here,” she said, “and I would like to separate this out. I feel like there’s some more topics that we need to discuss within this particular one before we should move forward with it completely.”
Before attending the event, students would RSVP on Core, an app where clubs can post upcoming events and meetings. When an organization hosts an off-campus trip, attending students are required to sign safety forms and provide emergency contacts.
This event has not yet been posted on Core.
Other senators argued that because the club would be getting a discount from the venue, there would likely be people at the venue or in the club overseeing safety.
“I think we should consider this separately because while the documents are on Core,” College of Engineering and Science Senator Rose Resnick said, “I want to be sure that they did sign those documents for safety, and I feel like that’s something that should be considered within finance.”
Resnick was also curious about the $60 per person.
When submitting funding requests to SRSGA, clubs and organizations are not required to disclose fundraising efforts or profits.
The Rock Solid Investment club submitted a funding request for $929 to reimburse 15 of 20 students who attended a trip to New York City. These students toured a business run by SRU alumni and were given $50 each by the College of Business.
There’s $1,464 left to cover, and the club is using the remainder of their $535 budget in addition to their asking amount to finish paying for the trip.
The Finance Committee thought this was a fair request because the club is using the remainder of their budget which uses funds previously budgeted for a potential speaker.
Parliamentarian Chris Thrasher was also appointed election commissioner for the SRSGA Spring 2023 elections.
SRSGA is also looking for an app that tells students what executive board members are in their office and when.
The next SRSGA formal meeting is Feb. 6 at 5 p.m. in the Smith Student Center Theater. Committee meetings have been moved to 4 p.m.
