SGA moves $30K to student organizations
Duke Ellington Ballroom filled student organizations during the Spring 2023 involvement fair at the Holmes Student Center. On Friday, the SGA passed a bill allocating $30,000 to fund student organizations. (Cheyanne Quintanilla | Northern Star)
March 5, 2023
DeKALB – The Student Government Association has passed a bill that will allow more money to be given to student organizations this semester.
The bill will move $30,000 from SGA’s executive funding, used to fund campus-wide initiatives, to supplemental funding, which is used to fund officially recognized student organizations.
“Supplemental funding is a lot more accessible to student organizations than executive funding, and has a higher rate of serving student populations,” said Deputy Speaker Debbie Allen, who co-authored the bill.
Funding can be spent to hold events, retreats, fundraisers and on other materials and activities within the organization.
Student organizations wanting to request funding can fill out the supplemental funding request form available on Huskie Hub.
Additionally, the SGA also confirmed the appointment of a new justice, first-year political science major Maximilian Jarmula, to the SGA Supreme Court.
According to the bylaws, the supreme court is primarily responsible for making rulings regarding whether actions among SGA members or approved student organizations violate the constitution or bylaws. Justices also have the duty of reviewing and making suggestions to the NIU student code of conduct.
“With this position, I want to make sure the constitutionality of this university is upheld,” Jarmula said. “I want to make sure that no faculty or student may believe they are above this constitution and its bylaws.”
A bill was also passed to support university efforts to hire a new director for the Disability Resource Center. According to the bill, the DRC has not had a director since mid-Fall 2022.
Senator Paris Martin, who co-authored the bill, said it was made to encourage NIU to hire a director as soon as possible.
“A director is to assist and advocate for students with disabilities, and to be a leader to the DRC and the staff of the DRC,” Martin said.
SGA meetings are open to the public and held at 2 p.m. Fridays, with locations posted in the senate’s agendas. SGA minutes and intent to speak forms are available on Huskie Hub.
