SGA outlines spring term agenda

Author: Leslie Lim

During the latest meeting of the Student Government Association (SGA), President Alex Stanton '07 stated that this winter term has been a busy period, as meetings pave the way for spring projects. The SGA's highest priority, Stanton said, was "the reformation of the budget to create 'flex funds'" to address unexpected needs. The SGA is also overseeing the continued progress of the SafeRides initiative, the improvement of communication between the student body and the SGA and the transparency of the SGA committees.

A number of newer projects are also in the works. In the coming months, the SGA hopes to bring another newspaper, the Addison County Independent, to its free newspaper program, on top of expanding wireless internet access across campus, scheduling a concert series in the spring, developing a formal social honor code, deliberating about room draw, replacing Napster and contributing to the focus report on carbon neutrality.

Budget reformation tops the SGA's to-do list. Currently, money from the College's Student Activities Fee goes directly to the 140 student groups on campus. However, Stanton stressed that if the money runs out unexpectedly, there is no reserve or flexibility to compensate for it. To ameliorate the problem, the SGA is proposing to increase the Student Activities' Fee from roughly $250 to $350. Compared to the rates of other NESCAC schools, Middlebury's fee currently ranks in the lower third.

"The original sum will still be directly allotted to the student groups," Stanton said. "But the increase will allow us to form specific funds that will be able to better address the needs of students."

"Flex funds" will be able to address unexpected needs, better preparing student groups' finances. The SGA will also create "banded funds" that will promote cooperation between student groups by tying together related financial resources. For example, different sports teams will be encouraged to share transportation by arranging events at similar times. For students seeking financial support for social gatherings, the SGA has proposed that yet another fund be made available. Stanton suggested that this fee increase could prevent the slashing of individual student group budgets, such as the 12.5 percent cut made in the fall.

Besides the budget adjustment, the SGA will continue working on the SafeRides initiative that was proposed earlier this academic year. The plan, which calls for transportation to and from off-campus parties, has already undergone one significant change: the SGA has now proposed using volunteer drivers rather than paid drivers, due to liability issues. By the end of the month, there will be a student group responsible for designing and implementing the SafeRides system. A trial run will be held at least once during the spring semester.

"Off-campus parties are a reality that needs to be addressed," Stanton said. But he reiterated the equal importance of alcohol education in addition to the growing availability of transportation resources on- and off campus. A drunk driving awareness week and possible educational workshops are currently in the works.

Stanton was pleased with better student body-government relations, as the SGA blog received more hits than expected. The SGA intends to redesign or change the table tents and the Middlebury events calendar in the dining hall for better communication. Stanton wants students to be informed about the proposed budget adjustments, and wants to keep channels of communication open, especially for potentially sensitive issues. The SGA Finance Committee office hours have been a popular channel for such communication. The hopes for increased SGA transparency are evident through the existence of open meetings, which are effective systems for addressing issues and concerns.

In its weekly meeting on Sunday, the SGA proposed and passed the suggestion of the Finance Committee to end its relations with Napster, the music-sharing program that the College currently offers to students. The College was initially able to acquire Napster with the generous donation of an anonymous benefactor. However, with the costs now shifted onto the Student Activities' Fee, the SGA has decided that the expense of roughly $10,000 a year is no longer financially advisable, considering the service's low usage rates. One possible alternative now under consideration is a service called Ruckus. If necessary, a completely new program may be designed.