By Sydney Shaw
Editor-in-Chief
In the wake of last semester’s fora on possible cuts to student organization funding, the Student Finance Board (SFB) is working to increase transparency and improve customer service by extending its office hours and revamping some key components of the board’s operations.
"This year, the Student Finance Board is adapting to meet the changing needs of TCNJ students," said Robert Mitchals, SFB’s executive director.
Mitchals outlined several new initiatives SFB has in store for this semester, including the announcement that within a couple of weeks, the board’s voucher log will be available online.
“In the past, students would have to randomly come by to see if their reimbursement check was ready,” he said. “Sometimes, people would stop by three or four times a week. Now, they can see if their check is ready online.”
Students will also be able to make nightly deposits by using SFB’s new dropbox, located outside its new office in room 214 of the Brower Student Center.
“We’re in a time when TCNJ is cutting funding to student activities, while raising the cost of tuition,” Mitchals said, “so it’s important to us that we be transparent about everything that goes on and be accessible to students.”
The board is also increasing its hours to be the longest in its 20-year history, according to Mitchals. Now, the office will remain open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., three days per week — Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays — from 9 a.m. to noon on Wednesdays and from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Fridays.
“We’re SFB and we’re run by students, but we want this office to look like any other office on campus,” Mitchals said.
Mitchals also outlined the process of reassigning liaisons to student organizations. In the past, SFB liaisons, or students responsible for improving organizations’ knowledge of SFB policies and procedures, were randomly assigned to student organizations. Now, SFB will delve into liaisons’ backgrounds to see if they might be better suited to assist some organizations over others.
Mitchals said the board is aiming to pair organizations with a liaison who is familiar with their operations, but will be sure to avoid any conflicts of interest.
