Pitt’s Student Government Board wants student organizations to use less paper.

SGB, with help from the Student Organization Resource Center, will implement a new Student Group Management System to create efficiency for budget allocations and other organizational needs, as well as promote a paperless effort on campus.

Board member Charlie Shull, who introduced the proposal, said information technology consulting company Symplicity was the best and most cost-effective option to create the new system.

The online Student Group Management System will allow student organizations to view any group’s membership rosters and create rosters and statuses on budget requests anytime. Shull said student organizations do not have to use the program unless they are requesting budget allocations, but they will be required to use the Symplicity website for this purpose.

The program, covered by the student activities fee, would cost $4,000 to $12,500 for set-up and customization of the system’s website and an $8,500 annual fee for support and maintenance.

Terrence Milani, a Student Life administrator and member of the allocations committee for SORC, said the proposal for the new program will be covered by an account within the student activities fee used for printers, copy services or “whatever else student organizations need,” including the new management system. Other funding will come from money left over from this year’s student activities fund.

SGB did not have to allocate money for this project.

“No sacrifices were made [by SGB],” Shull said.

Milani said the University is working with computer specialists to develop the program, although it’s unclear when student organizations can begin to use it.

“Our goal is to have the program roll out for the spring semester, but there is no hard schedule with the company,” he said.

Milani also said that there is no written plan.

“The program is evolving. It’s experimental,” he said.

Student organizations will need to be trained before using the program, Milani said.

“Student organization’s leaders and officers will have the passwords and safeguards for use of administrative services or individual group needs,” he said.

According to the proposal, SGB considered CollegiateLink, a company that operates the Outside the Classroom Curriculum system and OrgSync, which provides comparable applications.

Milani said the organizations chose Symplicity because of its versatility and customization.

“Symplicity offers greater utility for communication, and [student organizations] can operate and manage their own organization electronically,” he said.

Pitt already uses Symplicity in a different form, Shull said. The FutureLinks website, for career planning and finding jobs, is used by the office of Career Development.

“We know how [Futurelinks] works and are familiar with the system,” Shull said. “[Symplicity] will work similarly.”

Shull has been at the forefront of this project and is using the program to promote SGB’s pledge to go paperless and make the campus more eco-friendly.

He explained how the Board is divided up into groups of Board members working on various projects, “including more recyclable trash cans” at Pitt.

“Going paperless is a long process, and it is difficult to make a lot of progress in a short amount of time,” Shull said.

Shull said there is no record of opposition to the new program, and that the system is “absolutely needed.”

As president of Interfraternity Council, Shull said the Greek community is also on board.

“This way, the Greek community will be able to keep track of all 1,400 members,” he said.

Shull said students should take advantage of what the program has to offer.

“[Student organizations] can even convert documents to PDFs and Excel,” he said.

Terrence Milani, a Student Life administrator and member of the allocations committee for SORC, said the two groups have a reputation of helping each other.

“SGB is a component of SORC. It is very common for us to work with them,” he said.