News

RCF earns third shot

The Student Services Finance Committee granted on Monday the Roman Catholic Foundation of the University of Wisconsin a third hearing for eligibility funding.

SSFC previously denied RCF-UW’s claim for funding, refuting RCF-UW’s claim the required “significant additional component” is their Christian viewpoint. In reaction, RCF-UW filed a complaint with the Student Judiciary, stating the clause was misinterpreted. The complaint eventually went to appeal, affirming RCF-UW’s claim.

RCF-UW went back to SSFC in December and was again denied. After another round of appeals and a ruling in favor of RCF-UW by U.S. District Court Judge John Shabaz, SSFC granted RCF-UW another hearing.

When asked how the “unique Catholic view” of RCF-UW could fulfill the significant component necessary for funding, RCF-UW Vice Chair Craig Griffie said, “It’s the application of that view and how we apply it through our services.”

What is different in the third eligibility hearing, Griffie said, is that in the past UW Legal told RCF-UW that prayer, worship and proselytizing were not fundable under the university, which has resulted in a loss of programs run by RCF-UW. Under Shabaz’s ruling, however, those services and aspects of RCF-UW’s programs are allowed by the university.

“In the end, what’s really more important is that they come away with a greater understanding of [the Catholic faith] so we can increase dialogue on this campus,” Griffie said.

SSFC chair Alex Gallagher asked his committee to ask themselves if their “decision was influenced upon my understanding of what we could fund — that I discounted aspects of their programming — and, therefore, I made a decision which was not viewpoint-neutral given the new case-law.”

“I’m leaning towards reconsidering,” SSFC member Adam Porton said. “We can all speculate [about what affect the bylaw will have on the RCF-UW’s argument], … but we’re not going to know. We should ask for a new presentation.”

Some committee members agreed with Porton’s thoughts on giving the group another hearing of RCF-UW’s argument.

“With the judge’s decision there are things that [RCF-UW] could have used in their original proposal, and I’d like to allow them to use them,” SSFC representative Carl Fergus said.

SSFC Secretary Kurt Gosselin, however, did not agree.

“Having gone through the whole process already, I’m comfortable in saying my decision was not impacted by what U-Legal put out,” Gosselin said. “I don’t feel that this injunctive relief that was granted requires that we go back and revisit the eligibility again.”

The final decision will be made at the meeting Thursday, Feb. 21.