Starting next fall, Wilkes University will no longer recognize the Off Campus Council as a club, raising concern about how this portion of the campus community will be represented in its absence.

“The Off Campus Council is the liaison between students that live in apartments 1-3 blocks [off campus] and all the organizations and faculty on campus,” explains future student government president Anthony Fanucci.

Fanucci explains that the Council is being removed as a club due to lack of involvement as well as an inability to fill the leadership position. Like most clubs, OCC received funding that can now be distributed to other clubs that are more active in campus life.

With the termination of the club, the main concern that arises is how the off campus community will continue to be represented throughout the university.

Dean Philip Ruthkosky introduced the possibility of Community Ambassador positions to combat this issue.

“The focus will be to promote a more cohesive off-campus population and to serve as a resource for them [off-campus students],” said Ruthkosky of the positions.

CAs will have several responsibilities including serving as a resource for Wilkes students and community residents living on their block, representing off campus residents on designated university committees, and attending student government meetings as a non-voting member, just to name a few.

Students interested in these positions must be of junior or senior, full-time undergraduate status and be residing off campus. There will be an application process for these positions and the chosen CAs will receive a $500 scholarship per semester.

As for the events that the OCC held, such as Wing Wars and the Block Party, they will be assigned to other clubs and, as a result, those clubs will receive the additional funding needed to hold them.

For additional information about Community Ambassador positions, contact Dean Phil Ruthkosky at [email protected] or Dean Mark Allen at [email protected].