The Student Government Association on Monday unanimously approved the general allocations for student organizations for the spring semester, marking the last time the body will use this funding structure before it transitions to an event-based model next fall.

Director of the Legislative Budget Office Maya Renteria said the general allocations bill distributed $284,466 to 269 student organizations for the spring semester, compared to last year’s spring semester budget of $265,787. Renteria said student organizations requested $1,511,805.27 in funding, which surpassed the SGA’s available budget by 600 percent, a common trend in the SGA budget allocations process in past years.

“It’s a pretty big jump between what orgs ask us versus what we have, so we do work very diligently to make sure that we give orgs everything that they need to stay on campus and host their events and be active on campus,” Renteria said.

Among the 269 student organizations that received funding, the SGA granted The Store, the Muslim Students’ Association and the Black Student Union the largest budgets, with the organizations receiving $10,000, $9,000 and $6,930.20 respectively. Renteria said the general allocations application asks student organizations to rank their “top tier items” for the semester to ensure student organizations have enough funding to cover their major events for the semester.

“We’re just not cutting blindly. We know what is priority to them, what they care about the most, and to the best of our abilities, we do try and fund that,” Renteria said.

The SGA Senate passed the Financial Transparency Act last spring to transition the current general allocations system, a semiannual process, to an event-based funding model where student organizations can request funding on a weekly basis for events throughout the year. The body will begin transitioning to the new process next semester and hold finance training sessions for student organizations ahead of its implementation in the fall. 

Scott Mory, University President Ellen Granberg’s chief of staff and an alum, spoke in a moderated conversation with SGA Vice President Ethan Lynne during the SGA Senate meeting about his time at the University, experience serving on the SGA and the body’s prospective role in amplifying student voices to administration throughout the implementation the University’s strategic framework.

Officials elected Mory to the position in March and he assumed the role July 1, replacing the University’s former Vice President, Chief of Staff and Secretary Aristide Collins Jr., who served six years in the role. He received his bachelor’s degree in political science and criminal justice in 1996 and his law degree from GW Law in 1999, according to a GW Today announcement in March.

Mory said executive leadership and academic deans will convene at the GW Leaders Forum in January to discuss how the administration can “build connection” at the University and engage students in decision making processes.

“We’re working on some cultural issues, including how the administration can be better about communicating with, engaging the community, both when we’re not in the decision making process but also when we are in a decision making process,” Mory said.

Mory said the SGA fills an “incredibly important” role in highlighting issues students are facing on campus to University officials. He said hearing student perspectives through the SGA helps University officials improve campus life for students at large.

“One thing I know President Granberg and the cabinet want to get better at is being able to come to different constituencies earlier in a process,” Mory said.

SGA senators unanimously approved Skylar Pirnar, a junior studying marketing, as SGA treasurer. Pirnar said he has served in the LBO for two and a half years as an assistant, senior adviser and junior director. He said his past experience managing student organizations’ budget requests and training incoming assistants to serve on the LBO will help him “excel” in his new role.

The SGA Senate also unanimously confirmed three students for positions in the LBO. The SGA Senate confirmed Andrés Orejuela, a sophomore studying economics and political science, to serve as the Deputy Director of the LBO. Orejuela said he has worked with the LBO as an assistant for the past year and aided in this year’s Latin Heritage Month celebration, where he helped organizations “maximize” their budget to adequately fund events throughout the month.

“In the future, I seek to prioritize and expand funding opportunities for cultural orgs, big on-campus events and opportunities for students that might not be front and center in a PWI,” Orejuela said.

The SGA Senate also confirmed Harry Crowley, a first-year majoring in international affairs and economics, and Fabiola Lomba Cruz, a first-year studying international business and political science, as assistants in the LBO.

The SGA recognized Deputy Chief of Staff Sadie Turner, who is leaving to study abroad in the spring semester. Lynne and Katelyn Moon, the Senate chief of staff, commended for her role in hiring Senate staffers, organizing virtual Senate meetings over the summer and providing food at Senate meetings.

The SGA Senate will hold their first meeting of the new semester Jan. 13 at 8 p.m. in the University Student Center Grand Ballroom.