Decision nears for projects

Graphic by Kate Turner
Graphic by Kate Turner

Over the summer, the Student Life Levy (SLL) committee put $231,000, one-third of the total levy, toward a set of eight projects that would enhance student life on campus. With the completion of these projects by the end of September, the next phase has begun and will direct the application of the second third of the money.

While the first third of the money was largely allocated by the committee based on student feedback, the second third of the money involves student proposals. For the past month, Annie

Constantinescu and Roly Webster of the Wilfrid Laurier University Students’ Union have been encouraging students to submit their ideas for SLL projects.

“In the past, a lot of projects [came] from students that were engaged in this organization or somewhere else on campus, as well as staff and faculty,” explained Roly Webster, executive director and chief operating officer of the Laurier Students’ Union.

This year, he continued, they wanted anyone at the Waterloo campus, whether in an organization or not, to send in their ideas.

The deadline for proposals was Oct. 18. The Students’ Union, the university, and SLL committee will be meeting on Nov. 14 to discuss the proposals and decide which ones will be put into action.

Annie Constantinescu, WLUSU president and CEO, was unable to comment on the proposals as she is bound by a confidentiality agreement to not disclose anything until the final decisions are made.

Likewise, members of the committee could not speak on the topic until after the meeting on the 14th.

“We’ve seen more undergraduate students submit proposals in the first round this fall that will be considered at the committee meeting later this month,” Webster commented. “The two things we were trying to achieve was to make a difference earlier on and that students at large would have more access or better awareness of this fund and therefore submit more proposals.”

“I think it’s a good idea,” commented Jordanne Whitmarsh, a second-year global studies student at Laurier. “Students usually don’t have a huge say in these kinds of matters, so I think the Union will prove this idea to be successful.”

The last third of the money will go through the same process as the one running now.

This will take place in February with the final decision on proposals being made in March.

The splitting of the money into thirds is part of a new timeframe that was set out for the SLL last year.

In previous years, the money was allocated near the end of the school year, which meant that students rarely saw their contribution put to use during that school year.

“The change we wanted to achieve was to make a difference for the students,” Webster explained. “The fund is to enhance the student experience.”

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