SGA pushes for student life funds

As the deadline for submitting proposals for Tech's billion-dollar Capital Campaign effort is nearing, SGA is preparing to represent student interests by presenting ideas about how to spend the money earned during the campaign to the administration.

The Capital Campaign is a large-scale fundraising effort in which Tech requests money from donors. In a speech to the Undergraduate House of Representatives in February, president Wayne Clough said that the money was necessary for the budget, because the $180-$190 million that Tech receives from the state is not enough to cover the rapidly growing budget.

According to Thomas Johnson, vice president of Campus Affairs, SGA is lobbying for proposals promoting student life. So far, proposals that have been suggested include a student life endowment used for campus-wide events (like the Ludacris concert), a new Student Center, money for the proposed Undergraduate Learning Center, another learning center on east campus and more work on landscaping projects.

"We are trying to make sure that the voice of the students is heard. We've been trying to figure out what is best for students, and we will communicate that to the administration, taking into account what people will be likely to donate for," Johnson said.

While individual departments must submit their proposals by early April, the administration will end the preliminary process by some time in July or August.

Johnson said that SGA recently received this information and did not expect that the process would be over by August; the organization was planning on asking students for their input on a large scale at the beginning of the fall semester.

"We were not expecting the departmental proposals to be in so soon. We would have had more time to get ideas, but I don't think that it will make our representation of student life any weaker," he said. "I'm confident that students will be well-represented when we present our ideas to the administration."

Although not a lot of time remains for SGA to present their ideas to the administration, Johnson said, many ideas have already been generated. After Clough's speech to the Undergraduate House in February, SGA's Campus Affairs Board began to request ideas from the individual committees governed by the board.

The board is still accepting ideas and has developed a strategy with which to lobby for student life.

"Our plan is to be responsive to the administration. The basic strategy is constant communication; this will help us better represent student life in the Capital Campaign," Johnson said.

He added that although SGA was not clear on the timeline of the proposals, the administration has been persistent in asking for the organization's input.

"The administration has said that they want our opinion. They have asked for it in certain cases such as the ULC," Johnson said. "We've got a great administration that cares a lot about student opinion."

In addition, Johnson said that SGA would like to see ideas from students who are not involved in student government.

" SGA would like to offer a place where undergraduates and graduates can submit their ideas for how the money should be spent," he said.

SGA encourages students to submit any suggestions they may have to CapitalCampaign@sga.gatech.edu.