In the next few weeks the Fiscal Policy Subcommittee will be presenting the Activity Fee budget to the Senate. Budgeting for the Rensselaer Union is a unique process; RPI is one of a few schools in the nation that allows students to complete this sort of process. We are very thankful for the responsiveness of the administration to the process, and for all those who participate.
Students and staff spend countless hours working together to create the Union Annual Report. This report can be compared to what many top companies release to their stock-holders. Since the Union works hard to run a tight ship, they are now working hard to create a document which represents and expresses this to their constituents.
For those of you who are not familiar with the process, the Union Executive Board and the Union Administrative Staff goes through each club budget line by line and evaluates the subsidies requested. They determine how to allocate dollars in order to allow the greatest amount of quality programming to be put on. This year, the process went very smoothly and while cuts were made, there was great consideration put into each club’s budget.
Without this process, the Union clubs and organizations would not be as accountable, and we would not see the quality programming come out of Union clubs each year. These programs support the RPI student community as well as the greater Troy community. RAs use these programs to supplement their own and to teach their residents about the different niches they may fit; Union clubs often become second homes for students. Clubs not only improve the quality of life for students, but give them opportunities for personal growth and leadership unparalleled in the classroom. With new initiatives coming out of the Student Life portfolio like the Clustered Learning Advocacy and Support for Students model and the Sophomore Year Experience, further growth in student clubs in the Union should be encouraged.
Student clubs at RPI lie at the center of life for thousands of students. With the support of the administration and the tireless work of the E-Board and Union administrative staff, club-life at RPI will thrive for decades. As the Annual Report is published, make sure you take the time to realize what has gone into making it.
