While the face of student leadership is changing and student apathy appears to be on the rise, the university has added two new centers to help increase student engagement and improve campus programs.

The Center for Student Engagement and the Center for Student Activities and Programming have taken over the recently vacated offices of student groups, such as Undergraduate Student Government and Black Caucus, on the second floor of the HUB.

Some of the positions within the two centers have existed in the past but were not unified in one central spot.

"Both of our centers' goals are to get students involved outside the classroom experience," said Director of the Center for Student Engagement Barry Bram, who started the position in July.

The centers' operating costs were covered by $300,000 worth of university general funds, said Stan Latta, director of union and student activities. In the past, these funds, along with the student activity fee, have gone to University Park Allocation Committee (UPAC), a student-run committee, which allocates funds to student groups and programs.

By next semester, the new Fee Allocation Board, comprised of students and faculty members, will allocate the student activity fee to UPAC and the new Student Programming Association (SPA) upon request. UPAC will have the responsibility of allocating funds to student groups, while the also student-run SPA will be in charge of improving and creating campus programs.

The Center for Student Activities and Programming, which houses SPA, is dedicated "100 percent to programming," said Liz Roosa Millar, director at the Center for Student Activities and Programming.

Millar said the center will provide students with advice from staff members who have expertise in programming. She added that the center will also help students "navigate around" all the universities policies to prevent a student group from facing university sanctions.

Bram said the Center for Student Engagement, which deals with the recognition and registration of student groups, hopes to work with the new University Park Undergraduate Association (UPUA).

By next month, UPUA will take Undergraduate Student Government (USG) as the official student voice recognized by the university, knocking USG down to club status. UPUA elections are scheduled for Oct. 11.

Bram said the Center for Student Engagement which provides leadership and community service programs, also houses two student groups: Undergraduate Student Leaders and Service Learning Coordinators.

College Democrats President Elena Cross said the group has not worked that much with the two centers, but hopes there will be more interactions.

Cross said her initial response was that the money used to fund the centers was being taken away from the students, but she hopes the new centers will create a more "student-friendly" environment for student groups.

"Hopefully, we will see that throughout the year," she said. "We'll have to see how the year plays out."