After the 2002-2003-budget year, the Office of Student Activities may not be funded through the Activities and Services Fees Budget. That will be decided tonight by the Student Senate.
Senior Senator John Michael Lee has proposed a bill that endorses the transfer of the Office of Student Activities from an A&S Agency to an auxiliary organization funded through the budget of the vice president for student affairs.
Lee said students could be better served if funds are freed up.
“It’s a waste of funds coming from the office of student activities,” Lee said.
Two-thirds of the total A&S budget (over $600,000) is used to pay the salaries of student activity employees according to the proposed bill.
“The Famuan can’t grow as a newspaper because salaries grow each year,” Lee said.
Delories Sloan, the vice-president for student affairs, said students have a right to voice their opinions and she would be happy to sit down and talk to them to come up with an alternative plan.
“It’s lofty thinking,” Sloan said. “We’ve made no preparation to fund any activities.
Sloan added that activities couldn’t be funded through her office because the office operate on education and general funds and any auxiliary organization would be ineligible to receive money.
Auxiliary organizations on campus include student health, housing, and the fitness center.
“This is saying we don’t want anymore social activities,” Sloan said. “I don’t think they [Student Senate] want that.”
Lee said the likelihood of the bill passing is good. “If it fails, it will fail at the top,” Lee said referring to Henry Kirby, the assistant vice president of student activities. Kirby, who also serves as the dean of students and the interim director of student activities, will be a key figure in whether the bill is passed. Kirby could not be reached for comment on this matter.
Lee said this bill would greatly impact students and could better benefit from money being funded this way.
“The quality of life and culture will be better at FAMU,” Lee said.
Sloan said she wants to make the Senate aware of the consequences of this bill being passed.
“It’s going to leave us in a bad position in terms of providing students what they need.”