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Throughout her campaign for Student Association comptroller, Nyah Jones was surprised to learn how little students knew about SA’s Finance Board.

“It was alarming how many didn’t know what comptroller or Finance Board was. It’s their money,” Jones said. “I was just shocked to find how many people didn’t know what it was.”

Jones, a Syracuse University sophomore studying sports management, is the only candidate running for comptroller. David Bruen and Darnelle Stinfort are the only candidates for SA president and vice president, respectively. Voting opens on MySlice on Monday and will remain open throughout the week.

The comptroller acts as the chief financial officer of SA, managing the organization’s budget and approving all spending measures. Registered student organizations at the university can apply for funding from SA.

SA’s Finance Board allocates money from the student activity fee to RSOs that apply for funding for their events and other activities.

Jones said her experience serving on SA’s Finance Board the past two years makes her a suitable choice for comptroller. Her experience during her time on SA’s Finance Board is ultimately why she decided to run for comptroller.

“I’ve gained a lot of experience of just knowing the ins-and-outs of how this board works, knowing how SA works and how change can be made within just the finance board and with the support of SA,” Jones said.

Jones wants to post more frequently on social media, specifically Instagram, on behalf of the Finance Board. Since Assembly meetings are open to all students, Jones will notify followers when she’ll be speaking at meetings and about other business that she and the Finance Board are working on.

Jones also plans to hold office hours in the Schine Student Center where any student may drop in and offer their feedback or ask questions about SA or the Finance Board.

During a town hall hosted by SA and CitrusTV, Jones said she would have an “open-door” policy as comptroller, with regular office hours and frequent social media updates.

In the future, Jones hopes the Finance Board will be able to provide extra support to RSOs, a goal she has been discussing with the current comptroller, Julio Burgos.

Jones wants to form a closer relationship with RSO leaders to let them know what funding they’re eligible for before they even need to reach out to her.

Sometimes when organizations change from one leader to another, that new leader might not be familiar with how to communicate with SA or apply for certain funding, Jones said. Reaching out to student leaders ahead of time to let them know what they’re eligible for could prove beneficial, Jones said.

“We could all lend a hand to RSOs to give that extra support,” Jones said.

Although all the candidates for president, vice president and comptroller are running unopposed, they’ll still need votes from 10% of the student body, or about 1,650 students, to win the race.

As students prepare to vote, Jones wants them to know that she’ll be a resource for them and will be open to feedback and hearing about room for improvement.

“I want students to know my campaign is their campaign,” Jones said. “It’s their money and their student experience that we’re all dealing with.”

Published on April 25, 2021 at 8:42 pm

Contact Sarah: scalessa@syr.edu | @sarahalessan