The Student Government Association (SGA) voted on Thursday to award Students Who Achieve Greatness (SWAG) $0 and to table WAUG’s contingency so that an exploratory committee could be created to assess WAUG’s financial needs.
SGA recommended that SWAG, an organization that promises to “promote personal growth, teach students how to engage in a personal development process, establish a powerful support system and create a fun and stimulating learning environment,” according to the organization’s webpage, should look into receiving funding from CORE, Augustana’s career development department.
WAUG, Augustana’s student-run radio station, requested a $15,000 budget after a miscommunication between WAUG, SGA and the administration led to WAUG receiving $0 from SGA, Sam Dunklau, WAUG’s general manager, said.
Originally requesting $14,355 in April, Dunklau said in the meeting he was not aware that WAUG receives funding from the dean of students office, and that the group’s new request reflects that realization.
SGA President David Sommers said that the exploratory committee will consist of five members of the senate. Sommers said that SGA has not funded the budget of WAUG for the past three years and that the stations entire budget has come from Evelyn Campbell, dean of students, for a total of $8,200. Sommers went on to say that the only exception was made in 2014, when Dean Campbell gave WAUG $3,000 for an emergency request.
However, WAUG’s total budget last year was $13,000, and neither Sommers nor Dunklau know where that remaining $2,000 came from.
SGA Vice President Jackie Jastrzebski said that as long as WAUG is willing to work with SGA, SGA will have the station back at the next possible senate meeting.
“We want to get it out the way as much as they do,” said Jastrzebski.
Jastrzebski said that the reason SWAG received nothing from SGA is because the group is just beginning at this year and that the senate made good points about the campus already having organizations that are similar to SWAG. Similar organizations included CORE and the OSL Leadership Academy.
“There’s too much overlap,” Jastrzebski said.
Jastrzebski said SWAG President Kristoffer Kizer’s resources would be better served partnering with other established leadership organizations, and this would also save SGA funds.