Clubs and organizations at Bucks were hit with an unexpected loss in funds at the beginning of the 2013 spring semester.

The culprit: low enrollment.

With fewer students registered there have been some significant budget cuts to student life spending. It is the student fee we all pay that mainly funds the clubs and organizations that provide students with political voice, creative outlets, networking opportunities, religious community, entertainment and much more.

These days, students know that getting involved at school is a great way to explore interests, make new friends, test leadership potential, network, and build a resume to help in the slimming job market. Yet, these clubs and organizations that are supposed to cultivate students are suffering with major financial setbacks.

In order to help boost the future of Bucks clubs and organizations Director of Student Life Matt Cipriano is encouraging members to be more creative and resourceful in monitoring their funds.

“With the price of things going up the clubs here need to learn how to budget responsibly,” Cipriano said. “They need to come up with innovative ideas and fundraisers that go beyond the traditional bake sale.”

Past semesters allowed clubs special allocations where student government had a contingency fund of a few thousand dollars for use during the academic year.  If unexpected circumstances created a need for more funding, the club or organization was able to seek a special allocation from student government. These funds were also generally used for newly formed clubs and organizations as well as special events or lectures.

“I think the days of having extra dollars for when groups run out are far and few between,” Cipriano said. “Groups can do amazing things with a few dollars. Since there is a tighter wallet right now, there needs to be a plan.”

One club hit hard by the recent budget cuts is the award winning student run newspaper, The Centurion. The paper, which reports campus news, activities, student opinions and community news, usually publishes eight to 10 issues a semester but will most likely be able to publish half that amount this semester due to the cuts.

With the current transition of print news to online, The Centurion faces the dilemma of reallocating its resources to attract new readers and viewers, as well as saving money, all while still trying to hold on to their existing audience.

“The newspaper is a great resource and unfortunately we are stuck in this situation,” Cipriano said, “Marketing majors are sure to help out. If you find a marketing major who would be willing to help, I’m sure they could find more advertisers for the paper to help keep producing the print version,” he said.

By collaborating with others, Cipriano knows that the student life programs will pull through this difficult period.

Everyone involved can learn something from this challenging time; as we can take life skills out of this position that the clubs and organizations have been put in, Cipriano said.

“Paying more attention and reporting the money situations at each meeting is a big thing. There needs to be a better job communicating with the clubs, as well as communicating the current fiscal situation.” he said.

In order to have a successful year, Cipriano suggests that the student clubs and organizations plan out the year according to their dollar fund, since dollars are not guaranteed. By budgeting what is provided to them, this should guide the whole year smoothly.

One thing that club and organization members alike are asking is if these budget cuts and funding will be indefinitely. Although there was no definite answer, Cipriano gave some advice for those concerned

Clubs will need to have a positive mindset. While enrollment at the college may stay flat, clubs cannot look at this as a negative, Cipriano said.

“My pledge is to always find money for the student groups and organizations,” he said.