In light of this week’s Thelmo meeting, I find it crucial to ask one major question for a club which has a current budget of $79,840: how do they ensure accountability and ethics for expedition trips? The question is not a direct insult or attack on the organization’s legitimacy, as the club is one of the oldest in SLU’s history. My question is focused on highlighting what is being done to maintain ethical standards at our university. I do appreciate the events that this organization brings to campus, as some of the pillars of the SLU experience are Titus and Peak Weekend.
My question specifically focuses on the ethical standards used in the selection process for expedition trips. Simply, who decides the individuals that receive expedition grants? If it is based off a house vote, then it might be favorable for friends who are closely associated with the club to receive the funding. Unfortunately, friendships and connections can infiltrate this system and limit opportunities for those who have never been explicitly invited.
Similarly, if it’s decided on a first-come first-serve basis, then only students who are actively informed will have the opportunity to attend. This is not to blame the OC for the lack of diversity in members who receive expedition grants, but instead to question the methodology used to select students for the trips. As a first generation college student, I was never explicitly invited to apply for an expedition trip while I was attending St. Lawrence University. If the club is trying to make dreams come true for every student, please consider out-reach methods to invite students who historically have been underrepresented on these trips.
In addition, the responsibility of managing a budget of $79,840 is an extremely tall task to place on one member. A systematic approach of using a third party to oversee how funds are being allocated might be a solution to further provide transparency. I trust members of the OC in reporting accurate financial information regarding their budget, but it still is difficult to accept how only one treasurer is responsible for maintaining the record.
In having only one person responsible for such a large budget, the organization could experience mismanagement of funds. Again, this is one college student that is being asked to balance coursework, friendships and a budget of $79,840. There could be a better system to ensure accountability and ethics, and I highly encourage the club to further consider this moving forward.
My goal in writing these question is to spark a conversation on how to include more students in OC opportunities. I hope this does not burn bridges or polarize members on campus, since my objective is to spark a conversation on what is currently being done. I encourage the OC to respond in the Hill News to clarify this concern. Our university would not be the same without the club, and now it’s time to expand expedition trips to all students in the SLU community.