University students now will have a voice in budget cutting measures across Grounds through the formation of a new Student Council committee.
Council officially announced yesterday the formation of the Student Budget Advisory Committee -- a group that will consult with and advise administrators on University budget cuts.
The committee "allows students to voice their concerns and complaints and offer suggestions," Council President Micah Schwartz said.
The student members will attend administrators' meetings and give a student perspective on proposed budget cuts, and also will voice the comments and concerns of their peers.
The committee members will meet with several administrators to receive a briefing on the details of the budget shortfall, according to Colette Sheehy, University vice president for management and budget.
Pat Lampkin, University vice president for students affairs, is "setting up a training session" for the student members, Sheehy said.
"All of the vice presidents will think of ways for those students to work with the administration," she added.
Training for the committee begins this week, as will the first public forum in which students will be able to voice their opinions to committee members. The committee has not yet announced when and where that forum will take place.
Committee members must receive training so they have some knowledge of how budgeting works before they give their input to the administrators, Schwartz said.
"Our main goal is to serve as a student voice on budget issues," Committee Chairman Brad Harrison said. "We want to provide a voice in meetings that affect the whole student body."
According to Schwartz, the committee will work to ensure students exert some influence over the budget because it directly affects them.
The committee, however, is not responsible for designing the budget -- members only have the authority to present students' views to the administrators who make the ultimate budget decisions.
The committee was formed because of student concern over the intensive and ongoing budget cuts that took place this year, affecting all parts of the University. Students felt they did not have a voice in the budget cutting decisions, Schwartz said.
The committee will bring a "level of involvement that students have not had over the past few years," he added.
Council selected 10 students to serve on the committee, and 40 students originally applied.
Students went through an application process and an interview to join the committee.
"I want to make sure that we keep our current professors and keep up the quality of our professors," said Tanay Amin, third-year College student and committee member. "I want to be able to poll the students and hold office hours to find out what they [the students] think."
The committee is expected to meet approximately once a week.
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