By Britney Botez | Staff Writer
The Associated Students of Whitworth University (ASWU) saw massive cuts to its annual budget over the past few years. This greatly affects on-campus clubs, as they rely on unallocated portions of the ASWU annual budget to fund their club activities and events. With the 2023-24 ASWU budget being significantly reduced from previous years, ASWU adjusted expectations on the financial support they can provide to campus groups. “I think that clubs have become a little more creative in terms of either getting other sources for financing or not resorting to money as the end-all be-all to put things on,” said Michael Stavridis, ASWU finance director.
President of Whitworth’s Westminster Round, John Dotson, said that fewer funds posed some difficulties for ASWU. “We requested an amount last year that we predicted would cover all of our expenses, but we were given less at the beginning of the year and had to adapt, which has placed stress on the club as a whole,” said John Dotson, president of Whitworth’s Westminster Round. Campus groups have shown resilience by continuing to achieve the mission of their club while on a smaller budget. “The club is still thriving, and we’re still doing large-scale events, just with more forethought,” said Dotson.
On-campus groups have generally been understanding of the changes and, as is the case of Westminster Round, are still operating as normal. “I think it would have been more difficult if I had been getting a lot of requests for funds, but everyone right now seems to just be utilizing what they have,” said Stavridis.
While ASWU hopes to be able to provide additional funds for on-campus groups in the future, there is no guarantee that ASWU funds available for club use will increase anytime soon. “As we look to the future, I hope that we can find a way to put clubs and programs in a position where they can start getting more money again, but that is determined by the student fee and how many students are on campus,” said Stavridis.