Each student club’s funding is completed through an appropriations process via a panel of SGA and other community members. The budgets of each club are not publicly available. 

Aidan Carroll, whose platform focuses on critically analyzing club budgets and possibly reallocating funds from larger groups like CAB, wants to change this system. “Speaking as the outsider, I think they should be public. The students should know where the funding is going,” he said.

Diego Benites said that he believes the appropriations process is fair and that the numbers should not be made public. “All it does is cause chaos and wreak havoc among the student body,” he said. He continued to explain that, when numbers have been leaked in the past, handling that situation diverted their attention from other matters. Parent chimed in to emphasize their administration’s support of the appropriations process and his faith that it is fair.

Michael Hanna agreed that the numbers should not be public and that the disconnect comes from a lack of understanding. He said that he is actively involved in trying to create policies that help club presidents better understand the finance and appropriations processes. 

Each of the tickets explored different ideas for overall transparency. 

Salvatore Parent explained his efforts to try to include students by reminding them that there is a public form at each weekly senate meeting and by welcoming student leaders, such as Noah Guttierez who leads the Men of Color Group, to speak at meetings. He also said that social media posts explaining what different SGA positions do would help build understanding for students.

Molly Timberlake said that previous SGA administrations held meetings with all the class council presidents, “to bounce ideas off each other,” which she would like to implement.

Carroll continued to emphasize the importance of social media as a means to be transparent with the student body, as he promised to provide weekly updates in a post on Instagram if elected.