Clubs, Funds and the Senate

There are around 100 different student clubs and organizations here at Plymouth State. Consequently, in order to run these clubs, there is a need for funding. Funding has become a grave problem this year and will be in the fall of 2013.

Money for these up-and-coming clubs comes from the student activity fee that is paid every year by all students. Unfortunately the enrollment at PSU has declined vastly this year and is expected to decline next year as well.  The decline in new students at the University has caused budget cuts in all student run clubs. This new lack of revenue for student activities does not only affect student clubs but also athletics, recreations areas and student organizations.

Zachary Dziura, a member of the Student Senate, talked about these cuts saying "Because of the low enrollment we had asked groups to cut back as much as possible, giving them a number of 5%."  Both Dziura and Connor Brown, another member of the Student Senate, do empathize with the clubs but know that cuts were a necessity this year. "I'd like to see things run more efficiently with a smaller budget but we shouldn't stop funding a club just to save money." Said Brown

Dziura and Brown revealed the strenuous process of gaining full recognition; to be recognized a club must write a constitution, meet with the student body senate, write a letter to President Steen, and many other steps. After a club has been accepted by the senate they must go to the allocations board. This is also student run and holds a meeting once a year to do the final approvals of the clubs and allocate budgets for the next year.

Because of the vast amount of clubs currently on campus there are many clubs with over lapping purposes. Brown stated, "There is going to be a point where clubs have trouble getting started because of similar clubs. There are many suggestions for clubs that the Senate feels could be absorbed into other clubs. For example, when the Chess club was introduced there was discussion of them being absorbed into the gaming club."

An anonymous officer of the Chess Club said, "We really wanted to be our own club we feel the gaming club focuses more on video games and board games like Dungeons and Dragons. We felt that they are just completely different things even though on the surface these clubs look the same. Chess is not comparable to any board game. It is strategic and takes time and concentration."

The Chess club was approved at the beginning of March as their own individual club. Student run clubs and organizations will constantly be filling through the Senate. Members of the Senate do their best to give students what they want by approving clubs or perhaps moving them into another direction.