Two pressing topics took the focus of the Rowan Student Government Association’s (SGA) first meeting of the semester, but the highlight was a major improvement to the resources available to students.

Arijit De, the senior director of campus planning, presented his report to the SGA senators on Monday about a plan to improve several key areas of campus, most notably the long stretch of sidewalk that runs behind the library and between the student center and the now-completed business building.

According to a PowerPoint that De shared, much of the improvements would come in the form of more green areas. As he described it, the plan is to make the spaces feel more welcoming while also providing a better face of the campus for prospective students by way of an increase in grassy spots.

“We’re trying to focus on pieces of [the campus] that will actually be transformational,” De said. “There’ll be a substantial difference just this year, and hopefully that will generate more and more.”

The other point on the night’s agenda was an announcement from alternate student trustee Rbrey Singleton. He said the SGA would be starting the process of constructing a campus resource center. The center will give students access to a food pantry and feminine hygiene products, as well as help connect students with necessary services already on campus and in the community. 

Currently, the plan is for a temporary location to be set up in the Rowan Boulevard Apartments multipurpose room starting this semester, with a soft opening estimated to be sometime in March. The SGA has put forth a budgetary request of $30,000 to help support the center.

The resource center is still in the early planning stages, and Singleton says there’s still more work to be done.

“This is just the tip of the iceberg,” he said. “Like I said, we’re waiting on our marketing treatment from the Office of Student Activities. We have a policy subcommittee that’s working through the logistics of our policies for the campus resource center. So once those things become available to me, I’ll definitely share that with the student body.”

In other minor business, a reminder was put out about the housing fair on Feb. 1. The next SGA meeting will be held on Feb. 6 at 7 p.m.

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