Student Government Board discussed transparency surrounding the University’s endowment fund and dining hall cleanliness at its weekly meeting Tuesday night in Nordy’s Place.
President Marley Pinsky said students need clarity regarding the University’s budget.
“I met with the Chief Investment Officer of the University, and I advocated for increased transparency around our $5.5 billion consolidated endowment fund and how it’s invested,” Pinsky said.
Pinsky also encouraged students to attend the Campus Master Plan reveal at Barco Law Building on Nov. 6.
“It’s super important to show that students care about the master plan and that we want to be engaged,” Pinsky said. “We are paying attention to how the campus will be developing, even though a lot [of the developments] will happen many years after we are here.”
Board member Rachel Smookler addressed student concerns about dining hall cleanliness and allergen safety. Smookler said she met with Pitt Eats and encouraged students to share their concerns with Pitt Eats staff.
“If you have any issues, use the text-to-chat function for any feedback,” Smookler said. “Pitt Eats is really receptive to that feedback, and it’s good to have timestamps for any issues.”
In a meeting earlier this month, board member Andrew Elliott addressed student frustrations over on-campus construction causing sidewalk closures — which made campus more inaccessible.
“[Closures] make it harder to get where you need to go in a timely manner,” Elliott said. “Construction is going to increase that time.”
At the most recent meeting, Elliott said SGB is working to address the problems caused by those closures. Earlier this week, Elliott completed a walkthrough of campus construction to understand the problems students are experiencing.
“We had great progress, and now we’re looking to see what happens and how to better assist students,” Elliott said.
Allocations:
PIST Ski & Snowboard requested $14,600 for an off-campus program. The board amended and approved this request to $12,000.
Heroic Hearts at Pitt requested $3,967.54 for an off-campus program. The board amended and approved this request to $1,200.
The Fann Club, Middle Eastern and North African Student Association, Persian Table, Turkish Language Table and The Arabic Club requested $38,490 for an on-campus program. The board amended and approved this request to $32,118.
Dhirana requested $28,668.75 for an off-campus program. The board approved this request in full.
Chem-E Car at Pitt requested $3,981.66 for a competition. The board approved this request in full.
Chem-E Car at Pitt also requested $2,318.94 for general funds. The board approved this request in full.
Students for Justice in Palestine at Pitt requested $2,738.40 for a conference. The board amended and approved this request to $2,287.20.
The Chinese American Student Association requested $4,000 for honorary funds. The board approved this request in full.
Club Swimming at Pitt requested $7,786 for a competition. The board approved this request in full.