Common Grounds Receives SGA Funds

Joel Lehman

Michael J. Sharp enjoys a late night latte in Common Grounds.

SGA has included Common Grounds in its budget under SIFE (Students in Free Enterprise) by allotting $4,500 to Common Grounds through a gift and as a budget item. The money will relieve the coffee shop of their estimated $2,000 expected end of year debt and help the business buy supplies and pay workers next year.

"We expected to have a debt at the beginning," said Barabara Rowan, director of the Lilly Project. "Last year we were more than double in the hole compared to this year." Rowan predicts that the coffee shop will have a surplus by this time next year if programming and business continues to increase. "I really see students embrace Common Grounds and make it their own. The student body has really adopted the place," said Rowan. If business increases, then Common Grounds will be able to purchase food in bulk from Sysco which would help the business save money.

Common Grounds has considered hiring students through the work/study program, but has not been included in the budget because it is not seen as a permanent aspect of the campus. Next year, as Common Grounds is evaluated through the prioritization process, and considered a sustainable project for the long term, it could be included in the work/study budget. However, the business values being an employment option for students who are not work/study eligible and would want to keep a few positions available for those students.

Fundraising has supplemented Common Grounds income and the money from the Lilly Grant. The silent auction held in April 1 - 8 raised $530 with beef from the Peachey/Durham farm as the highest seller at $60. The second highest seller was a bike that went for $43.

The Lilly Grant has supported Common Grounds since its establishment in 2001. Grant support ends December 31, 2006. Rumors have circulated about the future of the coffee shop, but Rowan sees it "becoming less grant and more campus-led. It will stay a focal part of the university until students are no longer interested."

EMU has applied for a sustainability matching grant that would include programs currently covered by Lilly, such as Common Grounds, the Global Village Curriculum, Community Learning program, Deep Gladness Retreat, and the Pastor in Residence program. The grant will match EMU funding of these programs up to $500,000 over a three year period. This requires that EMU prioritize which programs are worth investing into over the long-term. "With or without the grant, the administration is committed to seeing Common Grounds succeed," said Rowan.

The Common Grounds Committee is still trying to identify leadership for Common Grounds after Lilly leaves. "Next year is the critical year for where it is placed; where it's housed is where decisions will be made," said Deanna Durham, Community Learning Coordinator. No decision has been made yet, and nothing will change in the fall. The committee is still looking for the right person. "This is not a decision that is taken lightly," said Rowan.