Board discusses the future, 2025 initiative

A new proposal will prompt future Student Government Boards to pick up what this Board put down.

Board member Graeme Meyer proposed a resolution at last week’s public meeting to create a long-term plan for future Boards, known as “The 2025 Initiative.” The Board then voted to approve the resolution at public meeting on Tuesday. 

According to Meyer, Board members’ one-year term is not enough to complete and maintain long-term project goals. The current Board’s term ends when the next Board takes office, which will be the first day of next semester.

Under the 2025 Initiative, the current Board will establish long-term goals for each position on the Board, so every Board up until 2025 would work on the same initiatives until the projects are complete. Meyer said he hasn’t yet established details­ ­— positions, responsibilities and plans to ensure it’s updeld — but thinks the plan will give future Boards “a little more direction.” 

Meyer said he’ll distribute a survey about the plan to students for their initiative ideas via email, Facebook, the SGB website and Pitt’s homepage.

“I can’t predict what will happen in three years. I can’t predict what will happen in one year,” Meyer said. “We’ll probably have to constantly check in, modify and tweak things.”

Meyer’s program is based on the 2020 program adopted by the University of Louisville’s Student Government Associatioan, according to Student Government Board President Mike Nites. 

The University of Louisville’s SGA drafted their 2020 initiative during its 2009-2010 term, according to its President Monali Haldankar. In spring 2010, the SGA held a referendum that the entire University of Louisville student body voted on, which passed the Initiative. 

Haldankar said the 2020 Initiative was designed to “give a more clear direction for Student Government to work towards,” but added that the SGA has modified some of the initiatives since. 

“As time goes on, we realize that only a few of the goals may not realistically be met in such a short time frame, and the support for some of the initiatives has dwindled,” Haldankar said in an email.

Meyer, who abstained from voting on a modification to the Elections Code at the public meeting on Sept. 16 because he is “potentially running for Student Government Board” this election, did not comment further on his plans. He said he plans to help future Boards with the 2025 Initiative regardless. 

Meyer added that the future Board should be willing to work on the initiatives that students address in the surveys.

“If a significant proportion of the student body values those things, I don’t know why a future Board wouldn’t follow that,” Meyer said.

In other action:

Board member Benjamin West introduced a resolution for the Student Government Board to support the University of Pittsburgh Sexual Assault Task Force.

The Board also plans to work with the Wellness Committee, Campus Women’s Organization, Rainbow Alliance, Interfraternity Council, Panhellenic Association, National Panhellenic Council and Resident Student Association on their separate annual events. 

The Board will table the resolution for one week. 

Allocations:

The Student Slovak Club requested $1,950 for the honorarium for six performers for the Slovak Heritage Festival on Nov. 2. The Board approved in full in line with the allocations recommendation. 

Model United Nations requested $2,539.69 to send 13 delegates to the Duke International Security Conference. The Board approved $1,629.69 and denied $910. 

Quidditch Club requested $1,215 for various league dues for 21 players. The Board approved $165 and denied $1,050 in line with the allocations recommendation.

Strong Women, Strong Girls requested $1,791.88 for transportation to four out of the 10 service sites and project supplies. The Board approved $1,482.78 and denied $309.10. 

Society of Asian Scientists and Engineers requested $1,304.67 to send four delegates to the Society of Asian Scientists and Engineers in Philadelphia. The Board approved in full in line with the allocations recommendation.  

The Pitt Humanities, Engineering and Design club requested $6,003.73 for supplies to take to Panama to build a freshwater distribution system. The Board denied in full in line with the allocations recommendation.