Student Association Chief of Staff Cragg Chaffee is confident with this year's new executive board and is ready to dive directly into the academic year.
Chaffee's number one responsibility as Student Association Chief of Staff is to oversee the student staff and ensure that things runs smoothly. In addition, Chaffee serves as President Peter Grollistch's right hand man, there for any counsel that he may need.
Strengthening SA club involvement is high on Chaffee's list of priorities for the year.
With a sturdy budget of $3.1 million, Chaffee hopes to improve club membership. SA-sponsored clubs will see a 10 percent increase in their budgets, with the hope of providing incentive for putting on larger events.
"One way that we are seeking to increase club involvement is subsidizing clubs for their volunteer participation in SA sponsored events," Chaffee said. "This means that SA will help clubs with their expenses when they help run our events."
According to Chaffee, SA prefers to keep funds within SA organizations, encouraging club members to volunteer for events on campus in exchange for SA promotion of club events and fundraisers. Men's rugby and men's crew currently provide the largest volunteer base for events and have one of the most important jobs: providing safety and security at events on campus.
Chaffee said that changing the things that made last year's SA "fragmented" is a primary concern. Creating more in-house communication will help increase communication with the student body and its organizations.
SA has created four liaison positions to give a voice to organizations that aren't heard as often as they should be. This year's government is hopeful that connections with the commuter population, the Residence Hall Association, Greek Life and the Athletics Department will allow them to reach out to even more of the UB community.
"Keeping an open-door policy will allow us to get more input from students," Chaffee said. "As a way to obtain input from commuters, for example, we could provide them with a coffee and doughnuts breakfast."
To ensure their goals are met, SA is no longer running on a three-strike policy for student employees. Unlike last year, there are increased expectations of student staff members to perform the tasks they were hired to do with very little room for error.
"We now function very similarly to a corporation. If there is any reason that the executive board cannot perform the duties they're responsible for, they will be fired," Chaffee said.
Events and concerts on campus are being planned with the students in mind, he said. Dates of shows are being scheduled at times when the highest student turnout is predicted, rather than the availability of the bands. Fall Fest was also the result of increased student input, with better timing of the show coupled with more popular acts performing.
" More input from the students - that's the effect (on) this year's Fall Fest," Chaffee said.
Academics: Chaffee is a junior finance major
Relationship Status: Single
Astrological Sign: Gemini
Hobbies: Skiing and Gold
Favorite Food: New York Strip Steak
Favorite Movie: Gladiator
Interesting Fact: Chaffee has gone skydiving, and has served in the US army for four years out of Fort Bragg, North Carolina. His duties called upon him to jump out of planes and serve two active tours of duty in Iraq.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
