At the SGA meeting on Jan. 31, members discussed changing the current SGA bylaws that state how much money can be given to Suffolk clubs and organizations who request funding from SGA for conferences or any off-campus event that is not open to all Suffolk students.
Under current SGA bylaws, the SGA Finance Committee will fund 80 percent of the travel costs for the first four students attending a conference or off-campus event and 40 percent of the travel costs to send the rest of the group, should the club or group’s initiatives request be granted by the Finance Committee. SGA will also fund 100 percent of the travel costs for the group’s adviser, who is required to chaperone the trip.
SGA members discussed changing the bylaws to instead fund 50 or 60 percent of the first four members’ costs and possibly 20 percent for all other members who attend.
There is currently no motion to change the bylaws concerning conference or off-campus event funding for Suffolk groups.
SGA Treasure and Finance Committee Chair Michael Royce said that because the Student Activities Fund, which SGA uses to fund conferences and off-campus events for groups, is funded by the activities fee Suffolk students pay each year, more of this money should be used for events that are open to all Suffolk students and staff.
The Finance Committee meets every Tuesday during activities period in Sawyer room 427. All Suffolk students are welcome to attend.
In other news, non-registered Student Leadership and Involvement groups have been granted $20,000 by SGA this year. There is also an increase in departments on campus that ask for money from SGA, which is a concerning trend, according to the E-board. The E-board said that because these departments already have their own budgets, SGA money should only be used by student groups.
The SGA Judiciary Review Board is working to revise current election bylaws. One senator noted that there should be “more transparent elections.”
Lukas Phipps, Commuter Students Senator-at-Large, read a statement condemning the “homophobic and racist” attack on Jussie Smollett and the unsuccessful kidnapping of Olivia Ambrose in Boston, adding that the Suffolk community recognizes the fear some students may have surrounding these events.
“While we can’t be everywhere to fix the bad things that happen in the world, we can make a world of difference to those around us,” said Phipps. “To our collective community; you are heard, you do matter, and we are here for you.”
