Slippery Rock University has received bond financing from the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education’s Board of Governors, which will help fund four projects on campus.
Amir Mohammadi, vice president of finance and administration, said that the bond financing gives the university the money needed to start the construction, which will then be paid off in the years to come.
“We have worked and received approval from the board of governors so all the financing is in place,” Mohammadi said.
The project is currently in the design phase and Mohammadi hopes that construction will happen soon after commencement.
Slippery Rock Student Government Association (SGA) awarded more than $13,000 and approved four new clubs at their meeting on Monday night.
$1,487 was given to Club Golf to pay for their entrance fee for two upcoming golf invitationals.
$11,595 was given to pay for the upcoming Dear World event, which is an award-winning portrait project that uses pictures to show connections between students, faculty and staff.
The four new clubs approved were the Gender Studies Club, NextGen Climate SRU, B.O.L.T. (Body, Opportunity, Love, Transform) and the Environmental Education and Interpretation Club.
SGA also approved three items for new business, including approving minutes from April 25, approving personnel items for staff increases and approving a change to Wendy Leitera’s title from business manager to executive director.
Elizabeth Hernandez was sworn in as speaker of the senate after a vote between members of SGA.
Two open forums were also held at the meeting. The first gave students in attendance the opportunity to ask questions regarding the contract negotiations between the Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties (APSCUF) and Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education (PASSHE).
Questions were answered by Ben Shaevitz, physics professor and APSCUF president at SRU, and SRU President Cheryl Norton.
One of the questions included what changes would happen on campus if a strike did occur.
“We will try to keep things as normal as possible,” Norton said. “It would be naïve to think it would stay the same way.”
Both Shaevitz and Norton expressed a desire for a strike not to occur and stated that they were not the ones at the negotiation table, with negotiation being conducted by other members of APSCUF and PASSHE.
“At the moment I would say we’re still pretty far apart,” Shaevitz said. “Our desire is to reach a settlement and not strike, but if it comes to that, we have it as an option.”
Norton was one of two guest speakers at the meeting.
The other was Blake Souders, SGA board representative and sophomore marketing major.
Norton welcomed students back while stressing the importance of SGA. Souders gave some background on what business SGA had worked on recently.
The next SGA meeting is scheduled for Sept. 19 in the Smith Student Center theater from 8:30 p.m. to 10 p.m.
