The Student Services Finance Committee met Monday to hear a budget proposal from Greater University Tutoring Service. The committee also voted to move their meetings to fully in-person.

GUTS requested a 2022-23 budget of $313,629.82, which is $59,632.11 more than their 2021-22 approved budget. This requested increase is mostly for an increase in staff salaries, Coordinator of Academic Support Services Elizabeth Baldridge said.

GUTS is hoping to increase student salaries to $12 per hour, give raises for students who work for more than one academic year and add new positions to match the increase in demand for tutoring services, Baldridge said.

According to GUTS Senior Coordinator Ian Pearson, the main area of decrease for this year’s budget request compared to last is in advertising, which has been moved from physical in-person marketing to more digital outreach.

Another aim for GUTS with the 2022-23 budget is national training certification for peer tutors through the College Reading and Learning Association.

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SSFC also voted to move future meetings to in-person after starting the semester fully remote. This will make it easier for the upcoming meetings where members will be holding more policy discussions instead of hearings, SSFC Rep. Kevin Jacobson said. 

Those wishing to make a public comment at an SSFC meeting remotely can continue to do so by making a written statement or recording, according to SSFC Chair Max Laubenstein.

The meeting space currently lacks the technology to offer a hybrid option for meetings that remains accessible, Laubenstein said. Committee members stressed that wearing high-quality masks will be heavily encouraged at the in-person meetings once the mandate is lifted March 12.

SSFC will meet again Feb. 24 in the Hearing Room in the Student Activity Center.