Funding helps with community focus, college experience
The recent Voices column, “Downsized,” criticized the Student Government Association for requesting an increase to the Central Programming Fund (CPF), a general fund that allocates money to various programming organizations on campus including Program Board, Minority Student Services, University Recreation, The Leadership Institute and The Volunteer Center, among others.
Increasing the financial capabilities of the CPF is essential to maintaining quality programming on campus and vital to the “Central Michigan University Experience,” a sense of community that we value dearly as CMU students. That sense of community actively promotes student engagement on campus and is directly linked to increasing our university’s retention rates.
The broad allegation that SGA must “give back” is not used appropriately in the article’s context. In fact, the request for increased CPF funds is a conscious effort by SGA to “give back” to students through enhancing programming for students on campus.
Moreover, the CPF budget has remained stagnant for years. This drastically reduces the real purchasing power of the fund when inflation, minimum wage increases and the general rise in programming costs are considered. We now have less money to program for more students.
Surely, academics are the priority on our campus. However, the ability to experience cultural, musical, volunteer, and diversity events should never be undermined by a loose pretext of “giving back money” or of undermining academic priorities.
SGA is not the only champion of increasing the CPF. Favorable responses from university leaders, including the Vice President of Finance and Administrative Services (David Burdette) and the Director of Student Life (Tony Voisin) have created positive momentum behind this issue.
Also, the groundbreaking of the new CMU Events Center highlights our institution’s commitment to event programming.
The work done by the organizations that receive CPF appropriations goes much further than simply providing entertainment to students. It strengthens our student body’s commitment and dedication to both the university and the greater community.
As Mark Twain said, “Never let schooling interfere with your education.” Although the classroom plays a significant role in what we learn as CMU students, our education would be incomplete without experiencing quality programming on campus.
Jason Nichol President, Student Government Association
