The Student Finance Board (SFB) passed a motion on Wednesday to fully fund the Leadership Development Program's (LDP) annual Leadership Lock-up, a daylong event that allows student leaders to network and strengthen their leadership skills through team-building activities and discussions.
This is the first year, however, that the office of Residential and Community Development (ORCD, formerly Residence Life) will no longer be required to participate because the event coincides with the spring opening of the residence halls.
The absence of ORCD agitated some board members, who cited that in the past, the organization made up a large percentage of Leadership Lock-up attendees. LDP stressed, however, that this year the Center for Academic Success (CAS), a new mentor program, is requiring its members to attend the event, and will most likely fill the spots left vacant by ORCD.
Despite the issues of attendance for the Lock-up, SFB acknowledged the event's importance and value.
"They're really trying to get the student leaders together," Julia Pratt, executive director of SFB, said.
A motion to fully fund Leadership Lock-up for $3,861.84 was passed 12-2-1.
TCNJ Swing also requested $1,218 to hold a dance during which students will get a short swing dance lesson and be able to dance to a live swing band.
Overall, the board welcomed the uniqueness of the event. "It's a chance for the average TCNJ student to try something new," Steve Viola, Student Government Association (SGA) liaison to SFB, said.
While the board wished to fund the event, members did not welcome the fact that TCNJ Swing would be charging the College's students to participate.
"(The event) is not large enough to merit charges from TCNJ students," Kyle Brownlie, operations director of SFB, said.
Members were willing, however, to give the organization additional funding so that the College's students would not be charged, but according to SFB policy, the board is not allowed to give more funding to an organization than it requests.
However, SFB can give more funding if a two-thirds majority vote is passed to suspend bylaws, an option the board enacted in this particular instance. A motion to suspend the by-laws passed 14-0-1.
The board then motioned to give the organization an additional $300 (the income TCNJ Swing estimated it would receive from students). The motion to fund $1,518 was passed 14-0-1.
Students for Academic Freedom, a new organization on campus, which, according to its request form, will aim to promote "academic diversity" on campus as well as on a "state and federal level," requested funding for publicity and participation in Academic Diversity Week, as well as postage for lobbying correspondence.
Although organizations similar to this one have already been founded at many prestigious colleges and universities across the United States, the College has yet to form its own.
"We don't really have another club like this," Pratt said.
Other members agreed.
"(Students for Academic Freedom) would probably add diversity," Omar Selim, junior representative for SFB, said. "There's no reason for us to not fund this club."
A motion to fully fund Students for Academic Freedom for $116 was passed 14-0-1.
SGA requested funding for Native American Movie Night for the College community to gain a cultural perspective on Native American heritage.
The funding would pay for the rights to show the movie, a documentary titled "Incident at Oglala," as well as publicity for the event.A motion to fully fund SGA's event for $308.50 passed 13-0-2.
