The Student Government Assembly’s university-endowed operating budget and its fund to support students attending academic conferences will now fall under two separate committees, following a resolution that the student government passed during its first meeting of the academic year on Thursday.
The Conference Fund, under which the SGA provides a grant for students to host or attend conferences related to academic or professional development, was originally part of the Initiative Fund, which also includes the $500,000 operating budget that the student government receives from NYU to carry out its projects. Henry Wang, the president council vice chair, said the new resolution distinguishes the two funds as separate committees within the SGA — the existing Initiative Fund and the Conference Fund Committee — “due to reasons of funding and the different allocations of resources.”
Last year, the student government allocated around $335,000 of its $500,000 budget for Violet 100 — NYU’s official spirit week — with over half of the week’s funding having gone toward the Violet Ball.
Members of the student government also passed a statement calling for their support for Student Workers at NYU, a union that is demanding compensation for resident assistants on campus, increased flexibility and more transparency on the expectations for RAs.
Angela Chou, the recently appointed chair of the SGA, reaffirmed the importance of both the resolution’s passing and the SWAN statement, citing “student empowerment” as a main priority during her tenure.
“We are consistently updating our bylaws to keep up-to-date with the current student body and what they need,” Chou said in an interview with WSN. “At the end of the day, we are always advocating for student voices and what students want.”
Contact Liyana Illyas at [email protected].
