Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

SAC Would Help Itself and Hoyas With More Transparency

Every semester, students pay a mandatory $50 student activities fee, and students have a right to know how that money is spent. While the Student Activities Commission is made up of students, it is neither formally accountable to the student body nor are most students aware of its decision-making process.

SAC allocates roughly $200,000 each year for approximately 85 student organizations. This money not only makes the goals of student groups possible, but it also benefits all of us on campus. We all enjoy the effects of the funding when a student club organizes a performance, lecture or activity. SAC’s influence over clubs’ ability to provide these events is extensive; it has the power to approve budgets and review the programming of student organizations and activities. Its constitution even gives it the power to “grant and terminate clubs’ access to benefits.”

But due to the Student Activities Commission’s insufficient transparency and the nature of how its members are chosen, this process can go awry. Clubs too often feel left in the dark when decisions don’t go their way. And for the same reason, SAC can be unfairly blamed for making calls that were in fact out of its hands.

SAC Chair Sophia Behnia (COL ’09) reasons that the 14 SAC commissioners are not elected by the student body because SAC is not an advocacy group for students.

At present, SAC answers to Vice President for Student Affairs Todd Olson, but it should also answer to the students, not just to the administration. After all, it’s our money funding our activities. We should have a say.

SAC needs to become more transparent. It is taking positive steps in this direction. For example, it has begun posting minutes online. And in the future, it plans to have an account of their finances online, so people have a sense of where their money is going. The commissioners meet every Monday at 8 p.m. in the Leavey Club Room. Even though votes are closed, meetings are open, but according to Behnia, “no one comes.” If students want SAC to make decisions we approve of, they should get involved and attend these open meetings to share their thoughts.

The most effective suggestion we’ve heard is the current proposal to reform the way the SAC chair is chosen. Instead of having the decision made by senior members of SAC, the position would be appointed by a committee comprised of GUSA representatives, SAC clubs and SAC members. This policy is a reasonable compromise that will keep SAC’s control intact but will open the decision-making process so that it is more accountable to students’ desires.

But this change is not enough. In fact, this policy should be expanded to all SAC commissioners. If that policy is instituted, SAC may not face so much anger from the student body and students may finally feel that SAC represents its best interests.

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