The Student Government Association (SGA) held a virtual zoom meeting on July 20th to give updates on housing scholarships, demands that address the budget cuts, and insurance grants. 

At the beginning of the meeting, SGA President Ricky Cruz announced that SGA’s executive board would vote on two plans.

The first being a housing scholarship which was available last school year to assist with housing costs for four students. Cruz revealed that there are a few requirements in order to apply for the scholarship. He also mentioned that SGA intends to make this scholarship a recurring opportunity for NJCU students. An email will be sent out about the scholarship.

The second plan SGA voted on was for all SGA members to be eligible for free housing. Cruz explained that the purpose of this would allow SGA members to directly address any issues within the residence halls.

The result of the July 10th Budget Task Force meeting led SGA to focus on three main areas to improve on campus: the freezing temperatures during winter, providing a wider variety of food options, and increasing parking for the main campus and the School of Business.

To improve conditions for NJCU students, SGA is looking to create committees that would address issues in residence halls, expand gourmet dining options, as well as safety on campus. Students’ concerns will be brought to the administration.

Earlier this month, the University required all NJCU students to have health insurance. The insurance provided by the school includes a fee that ranges from $2,000-$5,000 dollars. Students who already have insurance are allowed to waive the insurance offered by NJCU.

Due to this, SGA has made plans to give out $200,000 in insurance relief to NJCU students in need. Cruz added that grants will be given to students based on their financial aid to become eligible for either full or partial coverage.

Towards the end of June, students also received an email about a required telemed screening that is offered through Diligent Urgent Care. Cruz said that the telemed screening is mandatory for all NJCU students, including those who are only taking online classes.

Vice President of Finance and Administration, Alex Platonov, announced that the total SGA budget for the 2020-21 school year is $1.1 million. He noted that every club would receive an additional $1,000 towards the budget they have requested due to the impact of COVID-19. Once allocated to all clubs and organizations, Platonov concluded that the remainder of SGA’s budget will be $616,687.19.

Vice President of Public Relations and Marketing, Alan Cruz, spoke on practicing social distancing and being safe due to COVID-19. In light of this, he mentioned that there are plans to provide all students with masks to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

Towards the end of the meeting, President Cruz spoke on a potential plan for the Fall 2020 classes. According to him, some courses will be taken online while others will be in person. Students will also practice social distancing and it will become mandatory to wear masks.

SGA announced that all meetings for the Fall 2020 semester will be held virtually with the first being on Monday, September 14. Information in regards to the future meetings will be posted on the SGA Instagram page.