Giovanna Liotti has been appointed as Chairperson of the Student Activities Funding Board (SAFB) for the 2023-24 academic year. As the SAFB Chair, Liotti will oversee the disbursement of funding to student organizations.
The goal of SAFB is to support student organizations by fairly and equitably allocating its financial resources. To meet this goal, the board reviews budget requests, assists organizations with fundraising efforts and develops programs to benefit the student body.
Liotti is no stranger to the inner workings of SAFB. The Oakland University senior majoring in Communications has served previously as the Director of Marketing and Co-Chair for the board.
“Last year, I was Director of Marketing for SAFB,” Liotti said. “In January of 2023, I was offered the Co-Chair position. Then, I applied to be Chairperson of the board in the spring.”
Liotti was incredibly elated when she was informed she would serve as SAFB’s Chairperson for the 2023-24 school year.
“I was so excited to receive the job offer because I had so much fun with SAFB this past school year,” Liotti said. “I think I was selected for the job because my resume stood out. I worked in social media and have held multiple positions on SAFB.”
As leader of SAFB, Liotti hopes to make the student body more aware of the functions of the funding board. She also aims to educate students on how to utilize SAFB funds.
“My goal is to make the whole process of asking for funds a little bit easier,” Liotti said. “I want to minimize stress so students can focus on their academics and activities rather than worrying about funding.”
Recently, Liotti has been working on updating the SAFB by-laws to add clarity and reduce confusion.
Liotti anticipates meeting deadlines being the biggest challenge students will face when working with SAFB throughout the school year. However, she plans to provide increased financial education to student organization Presidents and Treasurers to mitigate this issue.
“I want to make people more aware of what is needed to have for a request ahead of time,” Liotti said. “It takes more time on everyone’s part. I want to make sure that people know the guidelines before they submit.”
In April of 2023, an article was published through The Oakland Post highlighting student concerns regarding the accessibility of SAFB funding. The article addressed various obstacles student leaders have dealt with when attempting to obtain funding for their organizations.
Liotti recognizes students require support to navigate the intricacies of the SAFB funding process.
“SAFB is not a seven-headed monster — we are students just like you,” Liotti said. “We are more than happy to assist any students that have questions or concerns. Just reach out to us via email.”
To learn more about OU’s SAFB, visit the board’s webpage or @oufundingboard on Instagram. For information on joining SAFB, email [email protected].
