NEWS
New criteria set for funding
Looking for a print version?
Simply choose ‘Print’ on your computer and a printer-friendly document will be generated.
Also by Carl Jaeger:
- UW student killed in Hong Kong vehicle crash (November 10, 2008)
- OBAMA WINS (November 5, 2008)
- Youth of the nation (November 3, 2008)
- Vote now, volunteer later (October 28, 2008)
- Alders oppose higher fares (October 27, 2008)
Related Stories:
- Student Judiciary to release precedent-setting ruling (December 4, 2006)
- Catholic foundation case before ASM court tonight (November 27, 2006)
- RCF decision due Thursday (December 12, 2006)
- SSFC denies contract funding (September 7, 2007)
- Judiciary gives CFACT another chance (September 24, 2007)
Share This:
by Carl Jaeger
Friday, December 8, 2006
The Student Services Finances Committee met Thursday night to discuss new guidelines for determining funding of student-segregated fees for campus organizations.
The new criteria were a result of a Student Judiciary decision requiring SSFC to rehear the University of Wisconsin Roman Catholic Foundation's request for contract status, which would allow the foundation to receive funding for full-time staff.
SJ's ruling requires SSFC to fill out forms explaining their decision to vote for or against a group's contract status.
SSFC approved an evaluation form members would have to complete after voting on a group's contract status. The funding group is already required to fill out a similar form for other budgetary decisions.
"They basically decided that contract status is a funding decision, and that we needed to use an evaluation," SSFC Chair Zach Frey said. "There are parts that I disagree with, but overall, I think their remedy was fair to everyone."
In the original complaint UWRCF filed against SSFC, the foundation accused four SSFC members of violating viewpoint neutrality when they voted against UWRCF's contract status in their first hearing. Those charges were eventually dropped, however, and in the opinion of the court, SJ said the process was not the fault of any members in particular, but that the committee's conduct as a whole was flawed.
"The process that we were using was flawed," Frey said. "We fixed the situation, and I think that it's probably best for everyone."
SSFC representative Sree Atluru also said the system is unclear and added that the issue surrounding the UWRCF controversy goes beyond contract status.
"I think that the law is very unclear [and] that the system policy is unclear," Atluru said. "I think that we are struggling with things that the whole nation is struggling with — the separation of church and state."
The SJ decision forces SSFC to rehear UWRCF's bid for contract status. According to Frey, UWRCF will "start from scratch" and make another presentation to SSFC Thursday.
SSFC member David Lapidus said allowing UWRCF to present their case for contract status would give the committee a chance to make a more educated decision about the issue, claiming little discussion happened the first time.
"We should have talked about it — the people who were voting against it should have spoken up the first time," Lapidus said.
Lapidus added that he does not know what would happen at the hearing Thursday, but he hopes UWRCF has a "fair hearing" the second time around.
UWRCF spokesperson Tim Kruse said he is feeling positive about the future of the foundation's contract status, but is not entirely confident the committee will decide in UWRCF's favor.
"We are optimistic, but not euphoric," Kruse said. "Whatever we come up with, they vote 'No.'"
According to Kruse, UWRCF is the oldest and largest student group on campus, and additional funding is necessary for them to better serve UW students.
"You don't want students coming to us and not having professional staff," Kruse said. "Anything less then a vote 'Yes' will be problematic."
Anonymous (December 8, 2006 @ 9:42am):
Someone tell Atluru that it is not her job to seperate church and state. SSFC is bound to the funding criteria; the religious nature of a group have nothing to do with that. The purpose of neutral funding criteria is so that any groups, including religious groups, are not discriminated against.
- Mr. Pirate
