Marquette University Student Government plans to invest several years of budget surplus into various initiatives involving infrastructure improvements around campus designed to better the quality of students’ academic and residential experiences at Marquette.
In an interview with the Marquette Wire, MUSG President Brennan Wills, a junior in the College of Communication, Legislative Vice President Justin Uribe, a senior in the College of Arts & Sciences and Financial Vice President Logan Meyer, a junior in the College of Business Administration, sat down to discuss their agenda, which includes upgrades to campus buildings and the installation of automated external defibrillators in residence halls.
“The idea is that [the bill] going to be a large investment plan, ideally making the price target half a million dollars.” Meyer said.
Meyer added that the funding would come from the over $718,000 student activity budget surplus that resulted from a lack of organization spending during the pandemic. The bill is being dubbed “The Omnibus Bill.”
Any proposal must be approved by administration before being executed, however the three executives are confident in the project’s viability. Wills emphasized the importance of collaborating with administration and maintaining a working relationship.
“[The process] is usually about finding ways in which we can either show them what the benefits are, [and] they can tell us where there might be areas where we are getting ahead of ourselves,” Wills said.
There are several ideas currently floating among MUSG over specific initiatives to take on. Uribe indicated that building renovations are some of the most prominent ideas, with furniture upgrades in Cudahy Hall being a top interest.
“[Students] would just like a better environment to walk into, a more welcoming environment, instead of just a wooden table and chair,” Uribe said.
Another proposal is the installation of automated external defibrillators, or AEDs, in campus residence halls. Officers with the Marquette University Police Department carry AEDs currently, and anyone suffering from cardiac distress in a building lacking them must wait for officers to arrive on scene to receive care.
“A lot of students would like to see [AEDs] already present in dorm halls so they can be utilized sooner,” Wills said.
A similar sentiment was provided by Keli Wollmer, executive director of the Marquette University Medical Clinic.
“Quick access to AEDs saves lives in the event of a cardiac arrest. Faster delivery of defibrillation increases the chance of survival,” Wollmer said in an email.
One proposal that has already been approved is the installation of iPads outside of the study rooms in the Lemonis Center to display availability. Wills said that the iPads are designed to improve the reservation process and make it more accessible.
“Instead of [students] having to go on their phone and fidget with the apps, [iPads will] make it more accessible for all students to just go there and see what’s available,” Wills said.
Lemonis Center Director Marilyn Jones called the addition a “game changer” and highlighted the benefits of the upgraded system.
“This technology will provide real-time information on the spot, making it easier to schedule impromptu meetings or study sessions, modify reservations, avoid conflicts and even release rooms when there are no-shows,” Jones said in an email.
Meyer said that funding for the study room iPads has already been fully approved and allocated by the MUSG Senate. He added that he is currently in the process of finalizing the terms with the Lemonis Center and that iPads would be ordered after that is complete.
The MUSG executives said they hope to have funding for the remaining initiatives approved and allocated by the end of the 2025 spring semester.
This story was written by Sahil Gupta. He can be reached at [email protected].
