During last week's meeting, the Student Government Association announced that the Collegiate Readership Program is cancelled until further notice due to budgetary reasons.
SGA Chief of Staff, Grant McIntire, said that the program's "cancellation" came because it was a pilot program that was to last for eight weeks. Four weeks were paid for by the SGA, and the other four weeks were given to the University for free by USA Today.
McIntire said it was difficult to find funding for the program for this academic year because of skepticism of practicality from the University.
However, after the success of the pilot program SGA has received positive feedback about it from the University.
According to McIntire, there are hopes that the program will be brought back to Seton Hall in the near future.
"We are currently working with USA Today and school administrators to bring back the program after Easter Break until the end of the school year," McIntire said. "The SGA has enough leftover in the operations budget to bring back the program, but on a reduced scale."
According to McIntire, the cost of the program was at maximum $2,300, if all newspapers are taken every day.
"I believe the program came in at a final cost of about $2,200, as almost all copies of each paper were taken every day. The papers were at the following rates per copy: 50 cents for The New York Times, 45 cents for USA Today, and 20 cents for the Star Ledger," McIntire said.
Since almost 100 percent of newspapers were taken every day, McIntire said the program was well received by students.
Senior, Tiffany Mongiardini-Batista said that she will miss the program and hopes for its return.
"Although I didn't grab a copy every day, I did most of the time and was happy knowing it was there if I wanted it," Mongiardini-Batista said.
According to Mongiardini-Batista, the Collegiate Readership's Program's exposes students to events worldwide.
"I think it has given students the ability to access local and national news in a tangible way," Mongiardini-Batista said. "It's given us the chance to step away from technology and read an actual newspaper."
McIntire said that he plans to assist the next SGA e-board on ways to bring back the program on a larger and more permanent scale by asking for funding from organizations on campus.
"We are also working to try and see if the Provost will fund the program in full for next year(s)," Mongiardini-Batista said. "If that does not work, we will go to the specific head of colleges and offices to see if they will be willing to pitch in towards the cost program."
McIntire said if brought back to campus, the program has room for expansion.
"We can expand in the number of papers per day (because they go fast) as well as the papers available (different papers)," McIntire said. "We encourage feedback for the program and that anyone reach out to theSGA with any comments or suggestions."
Kimberly Bolognini can be reached at Kimberly.bolognini@student.shu.edu
