DePauw Student Government (DSG) held its final General Assembly yesterday, April 24. Featuring special guests Vice President of Finance and Administration Andrea Young and Vice President of Student Affairs John Mark Day, the assembly discussed finances, housing, and student organization awards. Attendees also had the opportunity to meet the newly elected DSG Executive Board members and Student Senators. 

Finances

Vice President Young kicked off the assembly with a presentation about finances at DePauw. She noted that in the 2023-2024 fiscal year (FY24), DePauw made a total of $115 million from tuition and room and board, before unpacking how that money was budgeted. According to Young, DePauw’s FY24 budget was $114,125,000. Of that budget, 50.1% went toward faculty salaries, 24.6% went to non-salary departmental overhead (such as supplies and materials), 11.7% went towards auxiliary expenses, 9.2% went towards debt service, and 4.4% went to capital renewal and replacement. 

According to Young, DePauw’s FY24 budget was $114,125,000. Of that budget, 50.1% went toward faculty salaries, 24.6% went to non-salary departmental overhead (such as supplies and materials), 11.7% went towards auxiliary expenses, 9.2% went towards debt service, and 4.4% went to capital renewal and replacement. 

Young also emphasized the importance of DePauw’s $900 million endowment. She discussed the importance of the $200 million gift, which she described as a “huge deal.” 

“This made national news,” she explained. “We believe this is the biggest gift ever received by a college or university in Indiana.” 85% of this gift will go into the endowment, according to Young. Meanwhile, $64 million will be distributed towards the new Creative School, with $10 million intended for the “footprint” of the school. 

Housing Renewal Task Force

Young also provided updates regarding the Housing Renewal Task Force, which she is leading alongside Vice President Day. She explained that while DePauw does have a large endowment, the university “cannot legally go into the endowment and take money out to build residence halls.” This is because the endowment is made up largely of donations that have been specially designated for certain uses by their donors. Because of this, it is illegal for DePauw to use endowment money for any reason other than its designated purpose. 

Young shared that the Housing Renewal Task Force is taking a three-pronged approach to addressing DePauw’s housing issues, with focuses on short term investments, long term investments, and payment methods. The Task Force will present their work so far at the May 2024 Board of Trustees meeting. They will then provide an update at the October 2024 Board meeting, before presenting their results and final plans to the Board in February 2025. 

The Task Force will present their work so far at the May 2024 Board of Trustees meeting. They will then provide an update at the October 2024 Board meeting, before presenting their results and final plans to the Board in February 2025. 
Student Organization Awards & Announcements

After Young’s presentation, DSG shared the winners of its Student Organization Awards. Winners included DePauw Futball Club for Best Logo, B4U K-Pop Dance Group for Best Social Media, DePauw International Student Association for Best Annual Collaborative Event, Vietnamese Student Association for Best Inaugural Collaborative Event, and Cayla Williams ‘24 for Most Dedicated Member. 

DSG also announced the creation of a Free Library, located in the UB Basement next to the mailroom. This library will house student-donated textbooks for students to borrow.