Student Council unanimously passed an annual budget of $233,981.75 for this academic year — a reduction of nearly 50 percent from last year’s budget — at their General Body meeting Tuesday. Student Council also discussed updates and issues related to transportation on and around Grounds, including increases to the number of buses on the Silver Line, insufficient Safe Ride stops, concerns around the use of scooters on Grounds and the possibility of expanding the road near Hereford College and Runk Dining Hall.
Student Council also discussed potential changes to the new policy restricting access to the grassy section on the north end of Scott Stadium, known as the Hill. Jackson Sleadd, College Rep. and second-year College student, said he plans to discuss the matter with members of the University Police Department and Virginia Athletics.
During its legislative session, Student Council untabled and unanimously passed its 2024-25 academic year budget bill discussed at its previous meeting. According to Brookelyn Mitchell, vice president of administration and fourth-year College student, the budget reduction is aimed at improving the utilization rate of funds across Student Council branches.
Mitchell also said the reduction will help prepare for future financial constraints like a potential budget deficit, which could be caused due to overspending from the previous fiscal year, where Student Council allocated more money in its budget than it received in funding. According to Mitchell, representatives made amendments expanding the budget from $231,481.75 to $233,981.75, although she did not specify what the additional funding was allocated towards.
In the Representative Reports session, Ian Travis, College Rep. and second-year College student, provided several updates on transportation around Grounds, including the University’s plans to increase the number of buses on the new Silver Line, which stops at locations including John Paul Jones Arena, Ridley Hall and Brandon Ave. He also noted concerns about Safe Ride stops along Jefferson Park Ave., which he said do not activate within a half-mile radius of the Night Pilot — a late-night University Transit Service bus that operates between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m.
Additionally, Travis said the University is exploring the possibility of installing e-scooter charging stations due to the large number of students who own e-scooters. He said that while the University has banned e-scooters inside buildings, the University cannot outright ban them because many students need them to travel around Grounds.
“There's still a need for scooters around Grounds,” Travis said. “A lot of students have them. They can't just outright ban them because in some schools which did that, it didn't really work.”
Travis also said that he will be working on drafting legislation in the next few weeks to widen the road near Hereford College and Runk Dining Hall. According to Travis, the current road is too narrow for buses to pass each other in opposite directions. Travis said that Facilities Management does not see the necessity for this project, but he emphasized the importance of bi-directional bus traffic in the area to improve safety and convenience for students.
“Because the road's not wide enough, if the buses were to go around the corner at Runk, they would hit each other,” Travis said. “If we [apply] pressure from [Student Council’s] end, I think we could see some movement [in achieving this change]”.
The Representative Reports section also yielded discussion about recent changes to the Scott Stadium Hill. Sleadd announced that he will meet with the deputy chief of University Police, the chief financial officer of Virginia Athletics and a deputy athletic director to discuss removing additional restrictions for entering the Hill. Access to the Hill had been restricted from the beginning of the Fall 2024 semester, a change which an official statement said was designed to help improve safety issues and regulate capacity.
Admission to the Hill is currently limited to specific groups of people, including University students, Virginia Athletics Foundation membership card holders and season ticket holders, with attendees required to receive stickers granting them access to the Hill.
Sleadd said that based on current email exchanges, he is optimistic that a policy change will occur before the upcoming Boston College game Oct. 5 after he speaks with administrators.
“I'm just going to clarify some student sentiment on the issue [for administrators]” Sleadd said. “I'm hoping that we can get to a place where all it takes is student ID [to access the Hill], and we're kind of over this sticker system. Maybe aside from the Virginia Tech game we'll have.”
Valentina Mendoza Gonzalez, Student Council president and fourth-year College student, also announced that the University is now searching for a new senior associate vice president and dean of students ahead of the planned retirement of Cedric Rucker, interim senior associate vice president for student affairs and dean of students. Mendoza Gonzalez also informed representatives that she sits on the executive search committee.
“While the inner conversations of the committee are confidential to protect the potential candidates, I will give you guys updates and there will be opportunities for representatives to give suggestions on what you look for in a potential Dean of Students,” Mendoza Gonzalez said.
Other notable projects Student Council discussed during its General Body meeting included the first representative bill of the year, which advocates for the installation of umbrellas on the tables located between the Chemistry Building and Gilmer Hall to provide shade for students sitting at them. Mridula Manikandan, College Rep. and second-year College student, presented the bill, which passed in a unanimous vote.
Student Council also discussed Public Service Week, an event series that will run from Monday through Oct. 4 and highlight University community members’ contributions to public service efforts. Representatives also mentioned the Menstrual Product Project, a collaborative effort between Student Council and the Women’s Center to provide free menstrual projects in all dorms around Grounds.
Student Council’s General Body will meet again Tuesday.
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