As the economy continues to decline, students and administration are looking for ways to cut costs in everyday life.
To combat the waning economy, Student Senate is creating an efficiency committee to help lower some of the miscellaneous costs to the university, Student Body President Jordan Ticaric said.
“The new committee will probably be created in mid-February or early March and will have the goal of easing the effect of the economy on Bradley,” Ticaric said. “If we save some of the money that we spend on little things like the excess on an electric bill, then we can take that money and put it toward something students want.”
Graduate civil engineering major Hui Liu said she usually makes efficient choices in her everyday life.
“I usually turn my computer and the lights off when I leave the room or am not using them,” she said.
Ticaric said computers and computer labs will be one of the main focuses of the committee.
“Think of just one computer lab left on for a long time and how much electricity that takes up,” she said. “If we could turn off those computers, get every office to recycle and other things like that, we could save a substantial amount of money.”
Students are encouraged to bring their concerns to the new committee, Ticaric said.
“If students see something that is wasteful, they can come to Student Senate and share their concern, join senate themselves or join the committee,” she said. “I would encourage them to do any of these.”
Ticaric also said preventing vandalism will also be a goal of the efficiency committee.
“Vandalism can be really costly and there were a few examples of that last year,” she said. “We want to make sure everyone knows the cost of vandalism and the committee will bring it to the proper attention so it can be stopped before it gets out of hand.”
The idea for an efficiency committee came from the suggestion of Vice President for Business Affairs Gary Anna, Ticaric said.
“I think a lot of professors are the same way I am and turn off the lights when they leave a room but leave the computers on,” junior business management major Allison Kuzniarowicz said. “It would save the school a lot of money in electricity to turn them off.”
Ticaric said although the committee will not have the direct power to create new policies, it will have a close relationship with the administration members who can.
“We have an open door policy with most of the administration,” she said. “If that does not work, we have been pretty successful with letters and resolutions.”
The committee will keep in mind that its most important goal is to represent the needs of students, Ticaric said.
“A lot of students are always saying how the campus should go green, and that makes up most of the complaints we receive,” she said. “I want them to know that we are doing our best to change things.”
