Following Vice President of Student Affairs’ Dean L. Bresciani’s decision to stop funding the Collegiate Readership Program for the spring 2005 semester, the status of the collegiate readership program is uncertain. However, members of Student Government are trying to find an alternative source of funding.
“We learned of the decision to discontinue the program last Wednesday,” said Mark McCaig, a Northside student senator. “We want to let the administration know that this program is something students find worthwhile.”
The decision to discontinue funding was made following the Student Service Fee Advisory Board’s (SSFAB) unanimous vote not to fund the program for the 2005-2006 school year.
“The vice president’s office took SSFAB’s vote to mean that this was something students did not want on this campus,” said Chris Diem, executive vice president for the Student Government Association. “However, after speaking to the board, they just did not want to fund the program through student service fees.”
The Collegiate Readership program provides free Monday through Friday issues of The Dallas Morning News, The New York Times, The Houston Chronicle and USA Today to all A&M students at nine on-campus locations.
The Collegiate Readership program is made possible through contracts with those national newspapers that provide the papers to universities at reduced prices. The Division of Student Affairs has covered the costs of the program this year and originally pledged to fund the program for one full year.
“I met with Mr. Reber and Jan Winniford in the vice president’s office on Friday, and we discussed options to ensure the survival of the program,” Diem said. “It was a very productive meeting, and we presented them with e-mails and feedback that we have already received.”
Diem said Student Government’s objective would be to ensure that the program continues next semester.
“They understand that this is a program that students want,” Diem said. “I made it clear that students want this program to be funded through the following semester, while we pursue alternate methods of funding.”
A formal proposal is being put together for a presentation to Bresciani.
“Funding for next semester is still up in the air,” Diem said. “I think we can do it.”
Students have expressed frustration over the SSFAB not providing funding through student service fees.
Diem stressed that student feedback would be the most effective in having the funding reinstated.
“We want as much feedback as possible, as if this program is to continue we have to be able to show students want this program,” Diem said.
Visit aggieissues.tamu.edu to provide feedback on the issue.