Finances were a hot topic in the Southern Utah Student Association Senate meeting on Nov. 18, as senators and audience members openly discussed student engagement, fee distribution and wellness kits.
T-Bird Connection Replacement
During the meeting, there was talk of replacing T-bird Connection with in-house software for student engagement. This will allow SUU to reallocate $13,000 of student funds toward other resources.
“SUU IT has developed an in-house alternative platform that can provide the same functionalities as T-bird Connection without the high cost associated with the 3rd party software,” said engineering senator Mckay Fawcet. “Allowing more of an efficient allocation of student funds. I am working with several people from SUUSA right now so we can transition for students to start using that.”
This new software will benefit students by creating more conducive and tailored responses for student engagement.
Proposed Fee Distribution
A proposed financial bill would allow $2,000 from SUUSA funds to go towards a Washington, D.C. trip for economics students. Audience members raised concerns about this bill, stating that the funds were unnecessary.
“I want to speak against this, honestly,” stated Dante Vega-Lopez, SUUSA executive vice president. “It just seems like a ton of money going to a club that seems to already have a ton of money. I think there are so many better places to allocate money for networking purposes.”
SUU’s marketing club is planning to travel to Louisiana to attend a conference where networking and professional development workshops will take place. Funds will be moved from SUUSA’s budget to help pay for the trip.
This bill received positive feedback, as the marketing team went last year and placed well in competitions, ensuring the money for this year’s trip would not go to waste.
“I actually went last year and it was really incredible and we were the only Utah-based school there. We had someone place 3rd in sales. My team placed 5th,” said marketing student Ada Broadbent. “So many people worked hard to get there and continue to build that recognition among all these huge schools.”
Wellness Kits
One bill, proposed by graduate school senator Faith Christensen, focused on student health and wellness. Mental health has become a priority on SUU’s campus.
“In my background of student retention we have seen an increasing issue of mental health,” said Christensen. “Providing any additional resources, even if it’s just a wellness kit to brighten someone’s day, makes a huge impact.”
These kits will be distributed prior to finals week by SUUSA senators. Students can grab a wellness kit on Dec. 4 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the living room. Any leftover funds will be returned to the student senate budget.
SUUSA senate meetings will begin again in January 2025. Any questions or concerns regarding SUU policy can be taken to the STIL office in the student center.
Author: Natalie Anderson
Photo courtesy of SUU
Copy Editor: Kayd Johanson
Editor: Anna Mower
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