Vanderbilt Student Government released its 2009-2010 budget overview last week.
In all, VSG will spend about $117,750 this school year, with the budget being similar to the one for the previous year, President Wyatt Smith said.

One difference for this coming year will be efficiency. Last year’s budget left VSG with several thousand in reserve, which the group used for Movie Night in Sarratt and Pub renovations. This year, Smith said no reserve is expected, although students shouldn’t worry that VSG has cut itself short.

“If something happens, we’ll be able to shift resources to help ourselves or other student organizations,” Smith said.

He said VSG holds itself to the same accountability they expect of other groups as far as wise use of their budget to the maximum benefit of students.

“Students should look forward to more interaction as to what they want to see,” said VSG Public Relations Director Lucie Rhoads, who said polls would be one tool VSG will use. “We want to make programming more relevant … and do what students want.”

Area coordinators elected last week, as well as upperclassman house presidents elected this week, will drive the spending of the $8,500 devoted to upperclassman area programming. This was an area in which VSG has pushed to integrate resident advisers and area coordinators, Smith said, as opposed to VSG just adding a layer of bureaucracy.