The night’s biggest concern was the presentation by the Director of the Learning Assistance Program WyKeshia Atkins, who proposed an increase of $75,000 to the annual Learning Assistance Program budget.

With the help of SGA, the Learning Assistance Program was able to purchase thirty computers for the computer lab and eight computers for the staff offices.

“We will provide upgrades to our computer programs,” Atkins said. “They were purchased in 2016 and are not equipped with microphones and webcams.”

The push with the upgrade is to allow better in-person and virtual access to tutoring for students by providing more resources to learning assistants for an increased positive experience.

The funds would also cover training, renewal of certification, acquiring a new Learning Center certification through the National College Learning Center, and more staff members and tutoring classes.

A major push for the increased budget will be a new appointment-scheduling software. The software the Learning Assistance Program currently uses restricts the ability for tutors to hold in-person and virtual sessions for their tutees.

“Every semester, we have some glitches with the first day it goes live, and it adds time to when students can get scheduled,” Atkins said.

SGA continued their session after Atkins’ presentation, preparing their questions to determine the options they have for fulfilling the request by the Learning Assistance Program.

“Student Government has a few major projects that cost a bit of money,” SGA President Layla Bouzihay said. “As a Senate, we should figure out what is a priority, figure out what the students think is a priority, then decide what we can do.”

The major concern presented was the uncertainty of both the Tutorial Services budget, as well as the current budget of Student Government.

“We need a better itemized list of the budget for us as senators,” Senior Senator Justin Tuschhoff said. “An itemized list of the cost of computers and other items would help us make a better decision.”

No formal decision was made, but plan to make a formal decision once the final two major projects are presented.