A major change is in store for the Student Activity Center as its staff merges with the Memorial Union staff.

The SAC’s duty of managing student organizations and campus event planning became the responsibility of the Memorial Union. Greek Affairs and the Government of the Student Body will stay in the Dean of Student’s Office, where they were once lumped with SAC.

Richard Reynolds, the director of the Memorial Union, will now oversee SAC’s staff.

The decision to merge departments came after the assistant dean of student’s position was eliminated. The position, formerly held by Vernon Wall, was terminated because of budget cuts. Reynolds said blending positions seemed to be the best option to keep the same level of services.

“We felt like we could gain some benefits by combining staff,” he said.

Merging SAC into the Union made sense because many student organizations have offices there and many campus events are held in the Union, said Laura Bestler-Wilcox, assistant director of SAC.

SAC handles organizations and clubs on campus, event authorizations, WelcomeFest, ClubFest and Leadership ISU. The office also advises Veishea Inc. and the Leadership Enrichment Action Program.

“We’re your resource to help plan your events and get you involved,” Bestler-Wilcox said.

The decision will also help improve the efficiency of SAC.

Previously, offices dealing with student activities were scattered throughout the Memorial Union.

With the merger, services are consolidated into one place, eliminating run-around for student organizations to provide a better one-stop shopping experience, Reynolds said.

Bestler-Wilcox said students should notice a change soon.

“Within six months to a year, students will be able to go to one place for involvement, events, to know what’s happening on campus,” she said. “Most campuses already have this. We’re rare that this was two separate entities.”

In the long run, Bestler-Wilcox said, SAC would like to become a connection point for students looking for service opportunities.

The Memorial Union is also trying to hire an associate director.

The new hire will oversee the merger while working to better meet the needs of student organizations, Reynolds said.

“The associate director will be more directly responsible for the merger and how it takes shape,” he said.

Several students are also playing a role in the merger to make sure SAC continues to serve student organizations well, Reynolds said. Sophia Magill, GSB president; William Rock, GSB vice-president; Talitha Fox, president of the Student Union Board; Jonathan Allen, vice-president of SUB; and various others are on the search committee and have been a voice for students as the merger takes place.

SUB will be most affected, as it gains a new adviser and reviews policies to make sure it fits with those of SAC.

“We’re just prettying everything, so it works for student organizations,” Fox said.

SUB’s role has yet to be determined because the decisions and changes have yet to be finalized, she said.