ASG grants $4,500 to five UNC-system schools

RALEIGH — Student leaders from across the state awarded funds on Saturday to UNC-system schools for projects to help improve their campuses.

Members of the UNC Association of Student Governments met this weekend at N.C. State University to review applications for campus innovation grants.

Five schools were awarded $4,500 for projects to enhance student life on campuses. UNC-CH was awarded $1,000 to expand its SafeWalk program, which provides students with two companions for late-night walks.

ASG is a student-run organization that is funded by a $1 fee from each student in the UNC system.

The organization will fund the projects with money that has rolled over from last year’s budget. Like last year, the organization has approximately $10,000 to fund the projects.

To apply, schools submitted project proposals and had to be able to match the funding provided by the organization. There is a $1,000 limit on aid for each school.

UNC-Greensboro was awarded $1,000 for a program called the Great T-shirt Exchange: Out with the old, in with the Blue and Gold.

Katie Marshall, student body president for UNC-G, said the school has had problems with school spirit and hopes the new program will change that.

“The idea is for students to bring in T-shirts from other universities and then trade them in for a UNC-G T-shirt for free,” Marshall said. “This is an opportunity for us to foster more school spirit within our community.”

Because only a portion of the funding was used for the grants, the governmental operations committee of the organization plans to review a second round of applications in January.

While many members of the association support the grants, Kenneth Craig, associate vice president for finance of the UNC system, said he advised against the program when he was solicited for advice last year.

“As a father who pays the $1 fee, I didn’t think it was appropriate. But it wasn’t my call,” he said.

Craig said he serves in an advisory role to the organization and provides advice when it is asked of him.

“The campus initiative can be funded from the local student government fee,” he said. “A UNC-system student government association should accomplish collective initiatives that can’t be accomplished on an individual campus.”

Despite Craig’s advice to dismiss the project, ASG president Atul Bhula has decided to continue with innovation grants this year.

Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.