The News reported on Sept. 23 on the decision made by the Student Government Association (SGA) to no longer allow reporters from The News into Finance Board meetings. (Finance Board was previously known as the Budget Review Committee, or BRC). Board members justified this decision by saying that they deal with sensitive material in meetings, and all the numbers would be posted online after meetings for the entire student body to see. But as of press time, the allocations have not been updated since Sept. 26, creating a serious lack of transparency between SGA and the student body.
Members of the Finance Board decide how the $116 Student Activity Fee (SAF), which every student pays annually as part of tuition, is spent for basically every student event on campus. Some recent examples include when Drake performed for Springfest last year, or last week’s comedic appearance by Andy Samberg.
There were a number of students unhappy with Samberg’s appearance last week because most weren’t aware that the event would be a Q&A. Are you one of the students who couldn’t stand Andy Samberg? Don’t care for Drake? Well, it doesn’t matter because your money paid for it, and you don’t even know how much it cost. But if you’re curious, the group’s endorsements for Homecoming King and Queen are posted.
SGA is supposed to be the voice of the students. As such, it should maintain total transparency with the student body. How are students and their respective groups supposed to make informed suggestions and proposals to SGA on how their money should be spent without knowing all the facts?
The News reported Oct. 7 that the equivalent of SGA’s Finance Board at other schools, such as University of Massachusetts at Amherst and Tufts University, have a means of open communication with the student body – especially when closed door meetings are necessary. Members of the board at both schools agree that transparency is essential when dealing with students’ money.
Members of SGA told reporters from The News the reason they haven’t posted updates is because they have a bad server that is changing soon – yet they are still able to post other updates on their site, like the calendar and news sections. Somehow, this doesn’t add up. So is it that members don’t want us to know how our money is being spent? Is it laziness? Disorganization? Whatever it is, it’s not acceptable.
SGA is set up much like our country’s democratic republic. SGA senators need to gain the support of those whom they represent to be elected, and maintain that support. But unlike our national government, SGA keeps the public knowledge of its financial information (an important facet of any democracy) at a low priority. If SGA were an actual governing body, its neglect would be considered illegal.
It’s the prerogative of group members to close meetings if they see fit, but with that decision comes the responsibility to ensure an open, honest dialogue with the students. If SGA cannot maintain this type of relationship with those that it represents, perhaps they should not close their meetings at all.
