The Student Government Association (SGA) discussed funding issues and collaboration with the administration at its Tuesday meeting in the Charles Commons Barber Room.
At the meeting, representatives from the student organization Supporting Hospitals Abroad with Resources and Equipment (SHARE) asked SGA members questions about their funding.
SHARE collects unused hospital supplies from facilities in the Baltimore area and sends them overseas to clinics that cannot afford to purchase their own supplies.
To secure funding, the club sought a reclassification as a Special Interest and Hobbies group. The group has now been reclassified and will receive funds in the 2015-2016 school year.
SGA Executive President Janice Bonsu explained how funding is determined in response to requests that many clubs have recently made to receive funding.
“We get all of our funding decided by the Dean of Student Life. As there are more students coming here, there will be more groups,” Bonsu said.
In response to continued controversy over funding for Advocacy and Awareness groups, a neutrality clause was proposed that would allow all student groups, regardless of their title or purpose, to have access to the same funding. All groups will still have to get grants approved in order to receive it. A bill regarding the Neutrality Clause will be presented to the Senate at next week’s General Body Meeting.
To enhance the undergraduate experience, Vice Provost for Student Affairs Kevin Shollenberger announced the University’s current initiatives to create a stronger sense of school pride.
“We made some changes to orientation this year to really foster that sense of spirit,” Shollenberger said. “Already, we have seen a lot more turnout at student events.”
Shollenberger also discussed plans to open a new dorm for upperclassmen in 2016. He elaborated upon different plans that the administration is considering, including faculty involvement in residential life as well as themed housing,options that many other universities offer.
“How do we help [upperclassmen] stay connected to the campus community, and also give them more options, so we are geared towards upperclassmen?” Shollenberger said. “We have heard from students that they would like options to be able to live on campus.”
Bonsu said that she had expressed an interest in living in on-campus housing, but it was not made available this year due to the large size of this year’s freshman class. The Class of 2018 has 1,418 students - 98 more students than the Class of 2017 had last fall.
Dean of Student Life Terry Martinez, who is new to the University this fall, touched upon her plans to create a summit with members of Greek Life that focuses on the University’s core values.
“It’s really important to me to learn about the JHU culture,” Martinez said.
SGA Vice President Kyra Toomre announced that she would be encouraging efforts to preserve Hopkins’ traditions.
“Tradition and connection, both on campus and with alumni, are some of the things I care most deeply about,” Toomre said. “I am trying to do a presentation about traditions on campus and school spirit.”
After working with the alumni office, she said that alumni were not fully aware of many things going on around campus, and it has become her mission to bridge this gap between current students and alumni.
“The goal of [the presentation] is going to be to make sure that the Board of Trustees knows this is something the students care about and possibly trying to get more money towards these events – big things like more tailgates on campus, alumni-student connection events and the Commemoration Ball,” said Toomre.
Also at the SGA meeting, sophomore Camilla Dohlman represented a student-led initiative to increase funding for providing condoms in the bathrooms in the Library.
Last year, over 14,000 condoms were distributed. Two thirds were funded by SGA and one third was funded by the Hopkins Health and Wellness Center. However, Dohlman said that the condoms run out very quickly.
“Right now, the only option [for getting free condoms] is to go to your RA , and that can be uncomfortable, or to go to [Student Health and Wellness], which is a trek away from most places,” Bonsu said.
