The Temple Student Government’s (TSG) financial woes have become an administrative problem. Dean of Students Ainsley Carry sought to address that problem before the TSG’s general assembly last Monday.
In his second address to the representatives in as many months, Carry explained to TSG representatives that the administration was doing as much as possible to help them receive more funding. Carry also responded to recent accusations that the TSG received a smaller slice of the General Activities Fund (GAF) than other organizations.
“Not a single dime of TSG’s allocations comes from student money,” Carry explained. The GAF only funds activities that all students can benefit from, not just TSG representatives.
Actually, TSG’s allocations come from a very different source. Each of Temple’s deans budget funds to different organizations every year. TSG’s allocations come from the Vice President of Student Affairs, Dr. Theresa Powell. Powell budgets $112,000 to TSG every year.
“If TSG wants to deny money to organizations, they can, because this is allocated money, not student money,” Carry said.
Carry admitted to the assembly that “that number isn’t really keeping up with the inflation of the student body.” However, because it is not student money, no rules say it must increase with the student body.
Most of TSG’s officers have sounded off in recent weeks about the need for more university funding in order to keep the assembly effective. However, in her message to the assembly, TSG University Resources Chairperson Nairobi Thomas focused on how the university manages its budget all over campus. Last Monday, Thomas confirmed to the assembly that the University’s Executive Board for Communications and Finance approved the planned renovations to the existing Bell Building. Thomas had speculated in recent reports that such a center would be built soon.
“In January 2006, we will have a Tech Center in the Bell Building,” Thomas said.
Student Trustee Ryan Phelan used his floor time at the meeting to invite students to sporting events, an issue that he said was important not only for the assembly, but for the entire student body.
Phelan said that the attendance problem was a topic that hasn’t gone unnoticed by the board of trustees.
“For the first game of the season, attendance was a little low… It was a great game,” Phelan said.
Low attendance at Temple’s many sporting events is a problem that TSG has tried to tackle earlier in the year. Using programs like “Take a Kid to the Football Game,” the assembly has advocated better attendance at sporting events.
“Tickets are free at the gate, bring your girlfriend, bring your girlfriend’s friends,” Phelan said. “Hopefully we can get Temple back on the map.”
Christopher Reber can be reached at chris.reber@temple.edu.
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