The Badger Herald

NEWS

Finance Committee debates funding

PATRICK STATZ-BOYER/Herald photo

Looking for a print version?
Simply choose ‘Print’ on your computer and a printer-friendly document will be generated.

Also by Nick Penzenstadler:

For whom the bell tolls (November 29, 2007)
New apartments for West Wash? (November 20, 2007)
One-and-out: Kumar will not seek 2nd term on Dane County Board (November 15, 2007)
Displaced Carroll residents call university, bookstore helpful (November 13, 2007)
Carroll Street fire displaces students (November 12, 2007)

by Nick Penzenstadler

Wednesday, December 6, 2006

The University of Wisconsin Finance Committee proposed a funding cap for student organizations at a meeting Tuesday night.

The $800 funding cap would limit the amount of money the committee, a part of the Associated Students of Madison, could grant student organizations for travel purposes.

The committee allocates student segregated fees to more than 700 student organizations throughout the semester. The proposed policy, suggested by FC representative Tim Fung, would also limit each organization to two event grants per semester.

At Tuesday's meeting, FC Chair Sree Atluru exercised her right to step down from her post and articulate her concerns for the first time in her tenure.

According to Fung, limiting the amount of grant proposals would help restrict student organizations from making excessive requests for funding.

"There have been a couple [of organizations] that have been here three to four times and have been getting a lot of money from us in small events," Fung said.

Atluru said she understood Fung's rationale, but noted several large organizations put on more than two events per semester and have subcommittees that make individual proposals.

According to Atluru, the financial burden would be too great for the student organizations requesting funds if the funding cap passes.

"This could adversely affect some student organizations that can't go to various other organizations for funding — they rely on ASM," Atluru said.

As the policy stands, groups can approach FC throughout the semester for educational trips with an unlimited budget as long as they meet criteria established by FC.

FC has a limited amount of funds to allocate each year, and Fung said the proposed $800 travel cap would keep the funding pool from draining too early.

"I really think we're going to run out of money and not have anything left for the last three or four meetings," Fung said.

According to Atluru, the committee is required to save at least 40 percent of their funding pool for the spring semester. But FC is faced with difficult decisions, she added, and should not worry about running out of funds.

Atluru also said she was concerned that FC will cut down proposals to fit its $800 limit without scrutinizing each independently.

"I would strongly urge people against putting a cap on travel grants," Atluru said. "For this committee to do its mission it needs to look at each individual student organization as a nucleus — as a part of the entire cell of this campus. Each piece is vital to the campus as a whole."

Since the situation was tabled Tuesday night, FC still has time to reevaluate its policies.

FC representative Neha Sehgal said a cap might not be the best way to regulate funding for group trips, but she wanted to encourage organizations to look for alternate ways of finding money.

"There are organizations out there that take advantage of the system," Sehgal said. "I feel as though some restriction needs to be put in place, so they don't take advantage of that system."