SGA introduces changes to rollover funding, celebrates high voter turnout
SU’s Student Government Association hosted its first meeting since last week's student elections. Members highlighted increased voter turnout, a key achievement in SGA's name update, and bylaws changes to Rollover Funding. Avery Magee | Asst. Photo Editor
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Syracuse University’s Student Government association passed revisions to its bylaws, restructuring its priorities in rollover fund allocations during its Monday meeting.
Tim Phelps, SGA’s finance board secretary, emphasized the need for greater precision and purpose in its funding process for student organizations that operate on fixed schedules and depend on the association’s funds for programming.
With the changes, rollover funds will prioritize vital expenses, such as unforeseen costs, and support registered student organizations requesting funding for events that wouldn’t happen otherwise. With these formalized objectives, SGA also hopes to invest in new external organizations in the upcoming academic year to advance its outreach and engagement goals.
“(SU administration is) acknowledging that we are facing a shortfall and that we’re not necessarily going into a deficit,” Phelps said. “But things are tighter than they once were, and I think that there generally is a paradigm shift on the campus where administration is more willing to make things happen.”
In a February assembly meeting, SA comptroller Alexis Leach said the finance board plans to prioritize student organizations when allocating rollover funds, highlighting past overspending on costly and somewhat unnecessary costs like catering. She also said improved communication between herself, Finance Board members and RSOs would decrease waste.
With SGA’s Monday revisions, the comptroller will be responsible for updating the board on all financial operations in hopes of improving inter-board communication, Phelps said.
“What we’re going to see here is that we’re making some minor changes in language (to) the benefit of the entire student body,” Phelps said.
As part of the association’s transition to its new title, Valeria Serrano, SGA’s director of engagement and outreach, introduced SGA’s new social media tag, ‘cusesga.’ Throughout the meeting, the assembly cheered in celebration of the new name, which was approved by the student body as part of SGA’s constitutional referendum during last week’s elections.
SGA is also in the process of designing its updated logo and emblem, Serrano said.
She also encouraged members to continue to prioritize engagement with the student body as the association works to expand dialogue between undergraduates and student government.
Other business:
- Reese Holt, a New York Public Interest Research Group project coordinator, introduced Earth Week programming at SU, including an Environmental Panel on April 21st, Sustainable Fashion Show on April 25th, and a bottle drive on April 26th.
- SGA President German Nolivos reminded members that Cabinet Applications for the 69th Session of the next academic year are open till April 13th.
- Assembly Representative Tim Wong introduced the “Resolution in Support of United States Forest Service and National Park Services” bill after it was recently passed by SUNY ESF’s Mighty Oak Student Assembly. It calls on federal policymakers to prioritize protecting public lands and their caretakers.
- Serrano also promoted upcoming SGA-sponsored events, including Sunday’s Walnut Park Farmers Market and next Thursday’s Take Back the Night sexual violence awareness event.
DISCLAIMER: Valeria Serrano is an advertising sales representative at The Daily Orange. She did not influence the editorial content of this article.
CORRECTION: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that the Walnut Park Farmers Market is on Saturday. The event is on Sunday. The Daily Orange regrets this error.
