Platform point progress
- Advancing technology on campus: 100 percent
- Fostering student teacher relationships: 80 percent
- Providing incentives for multicultural organization collaboration: 80 percent
- Initiating five-year art plan: 65 percent
- Establishing central location for diversity resources: 55 percent
- Mobilizing discussion about OpenStax textbooks: 40 percent
- Promoting mental health initiatives on campus: 40 percent
- Expanding current academic resources on campus: 40 percent
- Organizing UPD cadet initiative: 30 percent
Though Student Government Association senators could dress casually for the last meeting of the month, there was nothing off-the-cuff about what was voted on Wednesday.
Following an opening platform point update from President Greg Carbó, senators better understood the focus of this academic year and approved money to back it up.
The approved budget, totaling $99,227, passed with a required two-thirds majority at 24-3 but not without discussion on the senate floor.
Last week, senators moved to table a vote approving a proposed budget because of concerns over funding for mental health awareness on campus. This week, some senators expressed trepidation, but the budget was approved.
RELATED: SGA tables vote for budget approval until next week
Since then, treasurer Kaia Thompson and the finance committee have reallocated $1,000 from teacher relationships to promotion of mental health.
That awards mental health $1,343.32 and leaves $4,000 for teacher relationships, both of which are platform points for OPTiC, the executive slate for SGA.
One senator who dissented last week, Kam Bontrager, was still uncomfortable with what he saw as inadequate attention given to mental health in the proposed budget.
“We should not be passing something if there is a division in the senate room,” Bontrager said. “In a lot of instances, lives are at risk.”
Senator Emily Neuhauser made a measure to table the vote one more week, but it did not pass.
Isaac Mitchell, a senator on the on-campus caucus, said student organizations are waiting on funding from SGA to hold events and tabling the vote would “ruin” events for these clubs at the cost of credibility for SGA.
Mitchell also said mental health does not need more funds allocated out of SGA’s budget.
“They don’t need more money. They need more awareness,” Mitchell said. “We need to pass this now and get on with our days.”
The budget approval contributes to OPTiC’s platform point progress. Now that funds are officially secured, SGA can work with student organizations and administration to accomplish what it set out to do while running for office.
Before the budget vote, Carbó handed out a sheet of paper that listed each platform point and a percent measuring how much work had been completed for them. Advancing technology on campus is the only completed point thus far.
Progress is determined based on if funds have been allocated, if the proper faculty and administrators have worked with SGA and if projects have been completed.
The next senate meeting is at 3:15 p.m. Wednesday in the L.A. Pittenger Student Center Cardinal Hall B.
Contact Sara Barker with any comments at slbarker3@bsu.edu or on Twitter at @sarabarker326.
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