Student government is looking to cut costs, especially when it comes to paper.
In the official budget, they have set aside $21,520 for office operations. Of that money, a combined $14,820 is set aside as stipends for student body president, vice president and treasurer.
Among the other expenses is monthly telephone charges and voicemail service, postage and a membership to the American Student Government Association.
Also, $1,870 is set aside for general office supplies including toner and paper as well as for copier charges.
With spending so much money on paper, student government is looking to scale back paper usage.
“We are always evaluating ways to make our office run more efficiently,” Student Body Vice President Donnie Iorio said in an email. “Right now we are looking at ways to go paperless.”
Iorio said that student government has looked into technology for senators and other members to use to view legislation and work on other Student Government projects.
The office already uses Google Docs to track legislation and forms to create a “more interactive process with our Senators” according to Iorio.
“We actually have been looking to how we can have technology replace our traditional paper usage,” Iorio said. “We’ve been in talks with Google and Student Life Information Technology, there’s some logistical issues in providing technology to 50 students.”
With other file sharing websites like Dropbox and Google Drive, the opportunity for student government to go paperless is there. Iorio said that another option that they have discussed is using things like the Google Chromebook to help facilitate Senators’ work.
“I believe that use of Google Chromebooks would (be) both cost effective and more environmentally friendly,” he said. “Not to mention, I believe that overall it would be more effective and efficient workflow.”
If the office were to cut back on office supplies, it could leave more money to spend on other projects that could help students.
“Ultimately, when we spend money, it is to serve the students. Like any university department, more money would always be a great thing, but I don’t know what specifically we would put it towards,” Iorio said.” I would counter that even when we are spending this money, it is to facilitate the functions necessary to help students.”