In the fourth Student Government Association (SGA) elections since April, the vacancy for vice president for financial affairs was filled by Rob Ranley, who has been rumored for the position for the past six months.
Ranley, who was nominated for the position in April, did not run as his nomination was never confirmed.
Ranley, who served as president of the university’s Kappa Sigma fraternity chapter last fall, said he felt “out of the loop” with the way the Budget Review Committee (BRC) operates and that he needed the summer to work out the details.
The chapter president was traditionally a year-long position until fraternity members decided to reduce the term at the end of last year following the fall-out from an off-campus party Ranley hosted that led to many students being reported to the Office of Student Conduct and Conflict Resolution.
When Christy Cappriccio, a junior finance and accounting major ran for the same position in July, Ranley stood before the Senate and gave a lesson about the BRC and the responsibilities of the vice president for financial affairs.
Ranley, who served as the Financial Committee’s assistant vice president during the 2005-06 school year, said he knows the committee “inside-out,” and senators should be informed before electing the new vice president.
In an interview with The News after the most recent elections, Ranley presented his plans and goals for the BRC.
“[The BRC] is sometimes really difficult for first-timers to understand. We want the BRC process to be easier for everyone to understand,” said Ranley, a junior finance and insurance management major.
Ranley said he is also looking into digitalizing the way student groups request funds. Starting soon, student groups will be able to fill out Excel forms online and submit them through e-mail.
Connecting with students and student organizations is another one of Ranley’s priorities.
“I want to reach out to student groups, especially those who don’t request funds as much or program events,” Ranley said.
While the BRC is a major aspect of the financial committee, Ranley wants to assist students with other financial issues.
“Outside the BRC, I want to hold forums for students to come and express their opinions,” Ranley said. “I want them to be able to discuss anything from their tuition money to Husky dollars.”
He also plans on working closely with Senior Vice President Philomena Mantella in communicating to higher administration officials for help with students’ financial matters.
During his time at Northeastern, Ranley said he has noticed a lot of students not budgeting their money correctly when it comes to credit cards, bills and rent, and wants to educate them about those dangers.
“If [students] don’t know where to go, I want them to come to us,” Ranley said of his SGA colleagues. “I want to let them know we’re here to hear their concerns.”
