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SSFC hears Wisconsin Union, UHS budget request
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by Taniquelle Thurner
Tuesday, February 26, 2002
Representatives of the Wisconsin Union appeared before the Student Services Finance Committee Monday, requesting $5,712,500 in student segregated fees for the 2002-03 budget.
The total amount needed for operation of the Wisconsin Union is projected to be $19,911,300. Students would pay for just over a quarter of the operating budget through segregated fees. Approximately 52 percent of the projected Wisconsin Union budget will be covered by revenue from the food services and 11 percent from future retail profits. The rest of the money will come from other sources, such as membership fees and donations.
The Memorial Union is also looking at plans to renovate the Lakefront Cafe, revamp the interior to accommodate more students, and offer different food than is offered in the Rathskeller.
“It wouldn’t just be different scenery for a hamburger and fries,” Wisconsin Union representative and SSFC member Andy Wallmeyer said at the hearing.
Other plans include the implementation of a “late night” program at the unions, allowing the facilities to remain open until 2 a.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights.
SSFC member Brad Ladwig was happy with the proposal.
“It’s going to reflect student habits more and thereby serve more students,” Ladwig said.
At the meeting, SSFC also voted to grant University Health Services a total of $8,800,900 for the 2002-03 school year. Originally, UHS requested $8,796,900, but UHS representative and SSFC member Andrew Bryan proposed an additional $4,000 to research and review options concerning the implementation of a different student health insurance program.
“[The current student insurance program], as it is, is probably going to go bankrupt in the next few years,” Bryan said. “It’s a spiraling problem that’s going to culminate in having no health care program on this campus.”
Bryan told SSFC members he thinks it is crucial to research alternative options because many members of the administration are not getting involved in finding a solution to the problem.
“Chancellor Wiley is perfectly happy to let things go on as they are until people come protesting into his office,” Bryan said.
ASM is considering several proposals to update the way UW offers health insurance to students. Because such a small percent of the student body uses SHIP insurance, it may be eliminated if a more effective system is not adopted.
One option is a check-off waiver, which would mean students would be assessed fees for insurance unless they checked a box opting out of the insurance program. Another option, a soft waiver, would mean students could opt out of the insurance program with proof of other insurance, and a hard waiver would mean students could only opt out of the insurance program if they could prove they had comparable coverage to that offered by the school.
After brief debate, the additional money for the study was approved.
SSFC will meet Wednesday to make a budget decision on the Memorial Union budget.
