Finances, Bikes and a Media Shuttle

November 2, 2009

Editor’s note: This article was initially published in The Daily Gazette, Swarthmore’s online, daily newspaper founded in Fall 1996. As of Fall 2018, the DG has merged with The Phoenix. See the about page to read more about the DG.

Student Financial Advisory Panel

The SFAP met for the first time last Friday with college administrators. They discussed financial aid, which involved too much confidential information to discuss in depth at tonight’s meeting, as well as potential changes to faculty/staff benefits. A possible restructuring of faculty/staff health care plans would focus on using in-network providers to lessen costs, and the tuition credit given to students of faculty and staff might be slightly reduced.

The Ad Hoc Group will announce its plan for a modified budget on November 13, at which point Student Council will host an informational session for students and then a town hall discussion with deans and administrators.

Sample advertisement

The student financial panel includes three StuCo members, President Rachel Bell ’10, VP Nate Erskine ’10, and Financial Policy Representative Dan Symonds ’11.

Textbook Money

The issue of the $10,000 designated for textbook purchases in last year’s rollover initiative came up, with council members noting again the difficulty of effectively using this money to purchase or rent enough textbooks to make an impact. Bell and Secretary Stephan Lefebvre ’11 brought up the possibility of allocating money to the buying supplies for students taking art classes. They noted that such a contribution could be maintained by selling some student artwork at the end of each semester, and devoting some of the proceeds to supplies for the next semester’s students.

Bike Share

Angela Meng ’12, Student Events Advisor, has been working on a budget for a pilot bike share program. This program, starting by the beginning of spring semester, would begin with 10 bikes and helmets that could be returned to any of five locations on campus. Bell brought up the issue of maintaining these bicycles once they’re bought, which would be a continuing expense. Meng expects the project to cost around $1070 at first; an alum has pledged $500 towards the pilot program.

Miscellaneous

  • StuCo members hope to start a shuttle to Media on Friday evenings. Bell intends to make a proposal to SBC to run a shuttle for the rest of the fall semester and gauge student interest.
  • Angela Meng brought up the idea of asking student committees that interact with the administration to submit a report each semester of what they had done.
  • Simon Zhu ’11, manager of the Student Budget Committee, came to the meeting to propose changes both to the Movie Committee, which would expand to include giving funding to students who wanted to bring bands to campus, and to the officially allowed use of the Student Activities Fee — he hopes to set a maximum percentage for money use by non-chartered groups.
Previous Story

Bike Share Program Gains Support

Next Story

Lang Poster Session Promotes Civic Engagement

Latest from Sports

Athlete of the Week: Lilly Goldberg ’28

Lilly Goldberg ’28 is a first-year pitcher on the Swarthmore softball team. The Pittsford native had a strong performance on Tuesday against Franklin & Marshall College, when she made a season-high fourteen strikeouts in seven innings. Goldberg only allowed one hit against

Athlete of the Week: Danny Castle ’27

​Swarthmore sophomore Danny Castle ’27, hailing from Highland Park, IL, has rapidly emerged as a standout in the Garnet men’s swimming program. Specializing in freestyle and backstroke events, Castle has already etched his name in the college’s record books. At the 2024

The 2025 NWSL Season Kicks Off

Women’s soccer is back and better than ever! On Friday, March 14, the first whistle blew to kick off the opening weekend of the 2025 National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) season. Orlando Pride, the returning league champions, made a bold statement at

Spring Training Stories

As a true sports fan might turn their attention to the craziness of March Madness, another sport is beginning to ramp up: baseball. The Major League Baseball’s (MLB) preseason, also known as Spring Training, has been in full swing for a few
Previous Story

Bike Share Program Gains Support

Next Story

Lang Poster Session Promotes Civic Engagement

The Phoenix

Don't Miss