On Thurs., March 7, during a meeting convened by the Student Government Association via Microsoft Teams, students raised questions about the new creation of a versatile “multipurpose field.”
The initiative, spearheaded by Vice President of Finance and Administration Jamie Petty, has encountered debates over funding sources, particularly regarding the allocation of student engagement funds.
The Student Engagement team and the Student Government Association have been working on creating a “multipurpose” field where more students can come together for sports and social events. March 7 marked the official meeting held to gather votes.
As the meeting started, students and club representatives were asked to add questions in the chat that they would like Petty to address. Concerns were voiced regarding student access prioritization, budget limitations, student utilization statistics and infrastructure additions such as lighting and a surrounding track.
Samantha Donato asked about priority access and rental logistics. “We always want students to have priority access. Reservations are contingent on availability,” Petty said. “Of course, we always want students to have priority access to whatever space. If a student reserves it first, then guess what? It’s theirs.”
Addressing scheduling logistics, Petty expressed willingness to explore prioritization mechanisms, potentially granting students extended booking windows compared to external organizations. “I would definitely be open to looking at some arrangement like that,” Petty said.
“How is this beneficial to people that aren’t in sports?” Natalie Ledoux, from the Phi Theta Kappa club asked. Petty responded, outlining the multifaceted uses of the field beyond sports, including outdoor movie screenings and other events like festivals and spring flings.
Regarding budgetary concerns, Petty emphasized the need for a capped allocation, proposing a maximum of $25,000, with an estimated project cost of under $20,000. In an attempt to reassure students with questions regarding cost, he emphasized the college’s financial stability and prudent resource management during the meeting.
“From a University System of Georgia perspective, they don’t want to see schools just gain more and more reserves. They want to see the schools use those reserves for strategic investment purposes,” Petty said.
He highlighted the surplus in student activity reserves, stating, “We have more than enough; I like to keep one year’s worth of revenue in reserves. We have that plus about somewhere between three and $400,000 more than what we need,” Petty said.
Additionally, he addressed plans for a walking trail extension as part of the college’s commitment to enhancing campus amenities.
“While there’s not currently a track, the college is working on extending the existing walking trail,” Petty said. “Our goal is to make it long enough to host cross country events and create a more integrated campus experience.”
Cristina Scoretz raised the question of student utilization statistics, prompting Petty to acknowledge the lack of surveys but express confidence in community interest. “We have already been approached and asked by the community. I think it will probably stay in use quite a bit,” Petty said.
As the question and answer session came to an end, students were then prompted to cast their votes as “yay,” “nay,” or “abstain.” Results revealed overwhelming support for the project, with 11 votes in favor, only three opposed and none abstaining.
