SGA losing buying power as campus programming fund fails to consider inflation rates
The Student Government Association has lost considerable buying power from the Campus Program Fund over the past several years, and SGA says that is hurting its ability to perform.
The CPF is an amount of money SGA is given to distribute across the campus as they see fit. The CPF funds programs such as University Recreation, Program Board, Greek Life and the Leadership Institute. Funding for the program has only dropped around $5,000 since 2001, but the lack of an adjustment for inflation is concerning for the SGA.
A preliminary calculation provided by SGA President Marie Reimers shows the fund has lost a total of $292,718 in buying power because inflation has not been accounted for since 2001.
“It’s a crisis at this point, because all these programs who have to match up to inflation are getting funding from a pot of money that has not been adjusted,” Student Budget Allocation Committee Chairperson Kevin White said.
The lack of buying power has forced the SGA to allocate less money than programs request. According to White, the Mary Ellen Brandell Volunteer Center requested a budget of $96,000 for the 2013-14 school year. Due to the loss of buying power, the SGA was only able to allocate $61,000 for the upcoming school year.
“If we bring in a concert, we have to pay for the lights, the microphones, the speakers and the security in order to host the event. The bill’s rates are always adjusted to inflation. If our funding isn’t adjusted to inflation, the equipment will be more expensive,” White said.
If inflation is not accounted for, White believes cuts could be in the future.
“Every year inflation is not adjusted, more programs will have to take cuts. MAINstage will have to be scaled back and all the other big programs will have to be as well,” he said. “I see it being a problem in the next five to 10 years. We are not going to be able to host programs of the caliber that students expect."
White also believes a loss in these programs could hurt the university.
“One of the things that makes CMU great is the fact that we have these great programs," he said. "We have the best programs in the state and sometime nationally. If we aren’t able to supply them with these things because our funding is at a 2001 level, then why are they going to come here? It could affect enrollment and the retention of students."
Now that the preliminary data has been looked at, SGA will create a committee to look into the effects of inflation on the CPF. White hopes to form the committee at SGA’s next meeting on Sept. 9.
"Since I’ve been involved in SGA, this has been something every single e-board and vice president has planned to tackle, and it’s just kind of fell through," SGA Vice President Patrick O'Connor said. "So with Kevin’s help, we really plan to get this accomplished."
