Philip Ellefson |
ASUP Executive Board announced Monday they will defer spending the Major Project Fund (MPF) for fall to spring semester. This semester’s fund, which is more than $65,000, will be added to the spring MPF and total almost $90,000.
Most of the final options for the MPF were physical campus improvements, such as renovating The Pilot House and funding a pool in the Recreation Center.
The Executive Board made decided to defer the MPF after a few top-level administrators visited an ASUP Senate meeting Oct. 27 and told Senate the MPF should be used more for student activities, while capital improvements should be undertaken by administration.
“Those are things that are well funneled to us, especially around capital,” Vice President for Student Affairs Gerry Olinger said at the meeting. “Let us know what the needs are, but I’d just love to see you all spending the money from the Student Activities fee on the student activities.”
A week later, at the Nov. 3 Senate meeting, senators debated whether ASUP should rethink the MPF in light of administrators’ feedback. While some senators favored Olinger’s suggestions, others said ASUP needs to suggest capital improvements to make sure they get carried out by administration.
According to ASUP Secretary Mariah Wildgen, the Executive Board decided to defer spending the fund in an effort to balance the needs of students and administration.
“It’s kind of a rethinking process we’re going through right now, talking to (administrators), talking to students and figuring out how we can go forward,” Wildgen said.
Though ASUP has not yet decided how to use the large reservoir of funds next semester, Wildgen said they may use the money to support club events, Pilots After Dark and other events.
Wildgen also stressed that even though the capital improvements brainstormed by students for the MPF won’t be carried out by ASUP, they will work to keep administration accountable for completing those projects.
“We’re not meaning to look adversarial to them at all,” Wildgen said, “but we’re just trying to best represent the students.”
Philip Ellefson is news editor for The Beacon. He can be reached at ellefson15@up.edu or on Twitter @PhilipEllefson.
