The Student Association Senate passed a resolution expressing the body’s disappointment with the recent cancellation of the “GW Reads” program and will form a petition to reinstitute the program.
Earlier this month the University axed the initiative that brought free editions of The New York Times, The Washington Post and USA Today in an effort to reduce University spending by $50,100.
“I have always felt strongly about the ‘GW Reads’ program,” said Nathan Brill (SoB-U), a junior, who sponsored the resolution. “This is always something that I thought was important.”
The Senate resolution calls for researching plans of how to bring the program back. Brill will be working with SA President Lamar Thorpe’s cabinet on a petition to gauge student interest on the issue and then will create some plans on how to fund the project.
Brill said possibilities include a membership program offering students a discounted rate for the papers or even using SA funds to subsidize the program.
“This is an institution that prides itself on a student’s knowledge of current events,” said Robert Platt (CCAS-U), a sophomore and chair of the Academic Affairs Committee. “We have agreed that the University should be pushing to develop this knowledge.”
Earlier this month Johnnie Osborne, associate vice president and chief financial officer of Student and Academic Support Services, said the program was “one cost reduction with minimum impact.”
He said while GW will no longer be funding the program, it may not be gone forever.
“Someone or groups may come forward and want to sponsor the program and pay the operating costs.”