Among issues discussed at the Feb. 6 Student Government Association (SGA) meeting,
Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE) Student Advisory Committee Representative Eduardo Arabu Jr. presented an IBHE report that shows NEIU was shorted $390,297 for the Illinois Veteran Grant (IVG) for 2006.
In addition the report also showed shortfalls in state funding in other veterans’ grant programs for guard and reserve veterans. The total shortfall in state funding for just the IVG for 2-year and 4-year IL state universities was $12,333,184.
The grant ensures that veterans receive a full scholarship to Illinois universities, so Northeastern and other state universities had to cover the cost of their tuition out of their operational budgets.
“When it comes down to next year’s budget there may be a tuition increase,” said Arabu about how NEIU may be able deal with the shortfall.
A senate bill for funding requests by several different clubs (020607-54) was divided into six separate bills, only one of which was rejected while the others were approved.
The Alliance of Student Social Workers request for $1200 to lobby at the Prairie Capital Convention was not accepted because the group required money to rent a charter bus. With no representatives present the group was unable to plead their case for the amount. A yellow bus costs around $800 and a motion was made for that amount, but the vote was not approved.
A Katrina Relief Effort proposal was granted to the Politics Club in the amount of $2,352.60. The club will travel to Mississippi over spring break to help with the clean-up effort.
The Student Council for Exceptional Children received $2393.50 to cover the cost of hotel rooms for a convention in Louisville, Ky. The Council for Exceptional Children Annual Convention and Expo is one that some claim will benefit all Northeastern students in the field because the CEC sets the standards for special needs education.
Their orignal request was for $5000 and was to include a rented bus. According to SGA Senate Speaker Kimberly Murphy, the measure was revisited at the SGA Finance Committee meeting on Feb. 13 and will be amended and presented to the full senate at their next meeting.
The Union for Puerto Rican Students requested $2600 to pay for speakers that will lecture at campus on political oppression and Latino issues and an additional $300 for food for that event. The Human Resource Development Student Association asked for $600 to host a networking event in Student Union 214 on March 27. Both proposals were accepted.
The SGA is looking for fresh faces and will be around campus encouraging students to join. They are also seeking funds so that they may go to conferences to learn how to become a more effective organization.
The Student Populace Committee is seeking student input so that they may begin to improve campus life.