A tense debate over student organization funding has raised questions about self-governance at Utica University, after Dean of Students Rich Racioppa confirmed that the administration finalized the student activities budget without approval from the Student Government Association (SGA).
At issue is a $40,000 budget cut to the Utica Activity Board (UAB), which students said came at the expense of dozens of other organizations. Many leaders voiced frustration at the Sept. 24 SGA meeting, saying the decision has cut deeply into their budgets and left them scrambling to figure out how they will operate.
Racioppa defended the move, pointing to months of unanswered requests for input from the former SGA executive board. “I was fourth in line trying to get a response,” he said.
“I reached out to two executive officers of the past administration and received no response,” Racioppa said. “Planning for the budget begins in February. By May, we had to move forward without their input.”
According to Racioppa, the administration needed to process more than 50 different student organization budgets, and delays forced his staff to step in.
“Finally, I heard back 48 hours after graduation,” he said. “But by then, the budget had already been made. You cannot work backwards.”
The dean admitted the cuts were painful. “No one had any joy in what we are doing with this budget,” he said. “I came in and we had to cut tens of thousands of dollars. I can’t have an expectation that this budget won’t drain you.”
According to the SGA board, the situation has been more than frustrating. Student leaders said the process has been marked by a lack of communication and transparency that leaves them powerless. SGA President Evelyn Enriquez was told that the budget will remain frozen except for the finance committee if SGA does not agree to said proposal, while Racioppa maintained that student organizations should “start using [their] money now.” The contradiction has left student leaders with no clear answers on how or when they can access funding.
The impact is already being felt, according to some student leaders. Utica University EMS, one of the organizations facing sharp reductions, is unsure how it will survive the year on just $1,000. Kenneth Murray, Chief of EMS, argued that the group’s budget should not be at the discretion of SGA at all, given the critical services it provides. But for now, Racioppa has held firm that the group must “make due with it” until next year’s budget cycle.
The strain has also begun to erode confidence in some student leadership. Chief Justice Xavier Moore questioned if he should hand in a resignation letter before the close of the meeting, stating that he “feels like a puppet in a play” with no real ability to match action to his aspirations within SGA. His words echoed a growing sentiment among the board that their authority has been reduced to a formality while the administration holds the final say on every major decision.
Matthew Alicea, a senior Sports Management major and aspiring senator, urged the SGA to push back harder.
“We should protest the budget and keep voting no until the administration meets us in the middle,” Alicea said.
Enriquez and other members said they will not stand for the administration sidelining student voices. They argue that SGA deserves more of a say in how funds are distributed, and that if administrators can override votes at will, then the concept of student self-governance at Utica University may be little more than symbolic.
The next SGA meeting will take place on Oct. 8.
