President Balog addressed the Student Senate on Oct. 29 concerning two matters of importance.First, there will be some slight changes made to the layout of the 2nd floor of the Academic Building. The changes are due to an interpretation of a fire code which was designed to provide guidelines for K-12 educational buildings, but which has been rigorously applied to the project at Aquinas.

The most noticeable change will be a glass wall and door which will separate the north end of the building from the rest, in order to partition off any smoke which could spread. Less noticeable changes will include the rearrangement and bolting down of some furniture.

According to Balog, these modifications will take place during our winter break, so as not to disrupt the seamless flow of the academic year.

In his comments, the president also discussed recent setbacks in the economy and how they affect the College’s financial outlook. The unraveling of the economy is a large concern to the administration because the majority of the money used to fund scholarships on campus come from investments, which currently are not earning money.

According to the president, the college has lost roughly 1.5 million dollars in this economic down turn to date. Despite these market influences, however, Aquinas College is standing firm in its commitment to pay instructor salaries and fully fund every scholarship on campus. To ensure the College does not become lost in the massive tailwinds of this economic hurricane the administration is striving for a conservative approach by stacking up cash reserves and managing investment risks.