Hoping to compensate for funding cuts from the Pratt School of Engineering, Engineering Student Government has raised student dues and reevaluated monetary policies.
For the first time in more than 15 years, ESG will increase student dues from $25 to $27, ESG executive president Ankit Prasad, a senior, said at the group's first meeting of the year Sunday night.
"We are squeezed very tight this year, and student groups have been as well," Prasad said.
To adequately fund campus organizations, ESG will increase funds for student groups from $7,000 to $9,000. Prasad said ESG's annual fund is $51,000.
ESG will continue to organize E-socials, weekly events hosted by different student groups and companies. At the meeting, members discussed whether ESG should choose and purchase its own food for the events. In the past, the groups hosting the E-socials have typically bought food with ESG funding.
"If we buy the food, it will be there, even if [student groups] forget," Prasad said, adding that this system will also ensure that the funds are used accordingly.
Members agreed to distribute checklists-in addition to funding applications-to student groups to evaluate the necessary purchases.
Prasad also noted that three ESG leaders are currently on the Engineering Alumni Council, the alumni group on campus that funds engineering student organizations.
ESG members considered new avenues of collaboration between the two bodies, proposing that working together may allow for a better funding allocation system.
Prasad announced plans to hold town hall meeting events for the new year. Pratt administrators, ESG, student groups and students will be invited to attend the open referendums, which will allow students to question policies and administrators to get feedback.
"There hasn't been anything like this in Trinity or Pratt," Prasad said. "This is completely new for the school."
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