Every UB undergraduate pays $94.75 in their mandatory student activity fee each semester – that money adds up to be roughly $3.6 million.
Three students control that multi-million-dollar budget of student money – they’re the executive board of UB’s Student Association, or student government.
SA’s executive board – made up of President James Ingram, Vice President Evan Chen and Treasurer Sade Cadle – is using its summer to prepare for next year. They also have a few tips for incoming freshman.
The goal of SA is to “provide a better university experience of all undergraduate students,” according to its website. The money SA manages goes toward clubs, SA events – like UB’s big concerts – and other services.
On March 27, the Value Party consisting of Ingram, Chen and Cade swept the SA elections. The party ran on the platform of updating SA’s procedures and bringing its services closer to the student body. Ingram promised to do this by creating procedural videos that teach personnel various skills needed in the office, as opposed to live classes.
Ingram wants the SA to be more active on North Campus’ Student Union floor and hopes to open a South Campus office – right now, SA’s offices sit on the third floor of the Union.
Cadle’s goals focus on accessibility and providing help to all of the SA clubs. SA provides a way for students to learn about other cultures and traditions and share similar interests, Cadle said.
To ensure the SA makes the most out of the mandatory student activity fees, Ingram said they will plan ahead.
“We’re going to be working hard all summer to be planning events ahead of time, brainstorming some new events and really maximizing the budget so that we’re reaching as many students as possible,” Ingram said.
Freshmen are no exception to this outreach. The board members believe the best way to make the most out of a college experience is to get involved with something on campus.
“I'm speaking from experience,” Cadle said in an email. “I met amazing people and learned so much that helped me in the world outside from UB by just being involved as much as I can.”
She thinks UB has an “immense” amount of opportunities that students should take advantage of.
Chen believes freshmen should “go out there and find out for [themselves]” what opportunities UB has to offer. Ingram reiterates this idea by saying freshmen should not hesitate when it comes to being involved on campus.
“When I first came to campus, I made the mistake of not really getting involved,” he said. “[The] college experience wasn’t nearly as enjoyable as it was once I did start getting involved.”
Although the SA is one outlet of which students can be a part, the message of the executive board for freshmen is to find something that you want to invest in.
“Our job is to provide a variety of different services and activities to students so that while you’re in college, you’re not just only going back and forth to class – you’ll have other things to do,” Ingram said.
Ingram believes because SA is funded completely by students, there is an obligation to provide students with ways to create a college experience.
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