Hood College budget concerns raise questions within the student body

// Kylie Lancaster

Hood College is experiencing a budget shortfall that is affecting student-led clubs this semester.

Club budgets have been cut in half, forcing organizations to reconsider the programs they can offer.

“Reduction has affected our ability to plan because we can’t have all of our usual big events and have to seek for either something free or [more] cost-effective, which is harder trying to do in this economy where everything costs something,” Black Student Union President Arianna Armstrong said.

Each undergraduate student at Hood pays a student activity fee. This money is directly invested back into student life on campus, including funding for the Campus Activities Board (CAB) and the Student Government Association (SGA).

SGA informed clubs at the beginning of the semester that it had $12,000 to disperse as opposed to the usual $25,000.

The college has been wrestling with a budget shortfall for more than a year. Last year, the college faced a $2 million to $2.5 million deficit, which has grown this year.

Interim President Debbie Ricker would not comment on the budget situation.

Former President Andrea Chapdelaine said the reason for the budget deficit last year was a mis-estimation of financial aid allocation, Memorial Hall delays and other financial issues.

Dean of Students Demetrius Johnson said despite the budget difficulties, programming on campus has increased. “Programming this year is twice as much as it was last year,” he said.

Johnson said student organizations are still working to create fun and engaging experiences. “Students are doing a great job planning events and we’re doing a good job supporting them,” he said. “For example, Resident Assistants are doing 60 programs every month. Students are creating a great experience for one another.”

CAB’s President Alba S. Reyes Montiel expressed confidence in her organization’s ability to execute events effectively despite reductions to its budget.  “Execution-wise, we have not felt a harsh impact, but in some cases, we’ve had to find cost-effective alternatives to what we have originally planned,” she said. “Despite the budget cuts, our team remains committed to creating meaningful experiences for students, and we are continuously working to plan as many fun and engaging events as possible.”

Johnson is offering to help club leadership navigate the budget challenges. “I will be meeting with every president and treasurer in clubs to alleviate any concerns about their ability to provide for other students,” he said.