After a few weeks of budget talks, the Student Government Association has decided to allocate $1,500 to help fund the tutorial center.
The question arose at the beginning of the senate’s spring session on whether or not the SGA would continue funding money to help with the tutoring program. A major problem that faces the senate this semester is a lack of money to allocate funds. With this in mind, the senate has decided to approve this year’s budget to allow for continued help of the tutorial c enter, yet has passed a resolution to ask the University to look into funding the center themselves.
According to the Tutorial and Academic Enhancement Center budget, the sources of funding are present from new student orientation fees, tutoring fees, and private gifts from such areas as Alumni, SGA and other Pro-NSU programs. This money equals a total income of $13,350, while the center’s expenses estimate $25,130. At this time, the University does fund the administrative costs of the center, yet they do not fund the employment of tutors.
“If they (the University) are so worried about retention, then they should fund the tutorial center,” Samiko Price, chairman of the SGA finance committee, said, “because five percent of the student population uses it, so that will be five percent staying in school, and it will be used as time goes by.”
The tutorial center presently provides assistance in biology, chemistry, English, foreign languages, history, math and physics. The cost is $25 per class for each student compared to last year’s $15 tutoring fee. This semester does, however, offer the opportunity for students to use the tutorial center freely, rather than having a required number of hours stipulated by the center.
Now that the SGA has decided to pass the resolution, SGA President Alcie Maxwell will now write a letter in the upcoming days to accompany the resolution that will inform the University about the senate’s request. The letter will be sent to Susan Gilbert, director of the tutorial center, and Alice Pecoraro, vice president of academic affairs.
The request by the senate is asking the University to supply $4,500 to compensate for the money brought in from private gifts. If this is passed, the center will no longer have to solicit to different organizations in order to gain money, yet some organizations may still give money to help with the center’s expenses.
If the University honors the request of the senate, the money will be allocated for the University in fall 2003.
“The senate hopes the University realizes how important the tutorial center is,” Jana Stewart, SGA education senator, said.