NEWS
Finance group forwards $16 million funding
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by Carolyn Potts
Friday, February 22, 2008
After
debating until midnight Thursday, the Student Services Finance Committee
approved the proposed budgets of University Health Services and the
Recreational Sports Division for the 2008-09 school year.
The budget
for UHS was approved for recommendation at a total of $12,637,900, with
$11,284,700 coming from segregated fees. The committee commended University
Health Services on certain aspects of their budget, including expansion of
their physical therapy services.
“I felt that
UHS in particular provided a lot of clear justification for their budget,
especially pertaining to their move from the current location to the Student
Activity Center,” committee member Adam Porton said. “The budget was very
clearly laid out, which we liked. That is probably why we passed it as [it was
proposed].”
The budget
brought to SSFC last week by Recreational Sports was also passed without any
changes Thursday. The budget totaled $3,492,700, with $1,953,300 coming from
segregated fees.
The budget
for the 2008-09 fiscal year includes funds for major projects expected at both
the South East Recreational Facility and the Natatorium. Recreational Sports
plans to spend $441,800 to replace the lockers at the SERF and $7000 to install
a new aquatic sound system at the Nat.
The
University of Wisconsin’s Roman Catholic Foundation also presented their third bid
for their eligibility for funding to the SSFC.
Based on a
ruling from U.S. District Court Judge John Shabaz Jan. 17, RCF-UW was able to include
religious activities in their argument for receiving General Student Services
Fund financing for the 2008-09 school year. The committee granted RCF-UW
another eligibility hearing based on the judge’s ruling.
“What we are
allowing them to do is provide additional information that they felt they
couldn’t provide the first time,” SSFC Chair Alex Gallagher said.
In the
previous eligibility hearing, RCF-UW was not allowed to incorporate prayer,
worship, or proselytizing as a part of their significant additional component, a
demonstration of a group’s unique service to UW that is required for segregated
fee funding. After the court ruling, the group was allowed to reintegrate these
things for SSFC to consider in their eligibility hearing.
“UW Legal
denied us funding for the current fiscal year of 07-08, and with that denial we
were limited in our responses in our original eligibility hearing,” Griffie
said. “[But the court ruled that] what we do is part of our free speech
rights.”
The
committee asked RCF-UW questions regarding the activities and services they
offer, the number of students that the group reaches out to, and whether the
group is willing to incorporate both Catholic students and non-Catholic
students.
“I think in
general we are looking for aspects of their program that fit our understanding
of what is necessary to become a GSSF group,” Gallagher said. “What we need to
do is get beyond their viewpoint and really get down to the nitty-gritty of
what they do, and whether that’s the type of program that fits this funding.”
SSFC also
heard the budget proposal of the new Student Activity Center that is being
constructed as a part of the University Square complex.
The committee will make decisions about RCF-UW’s eligibility and the Student Activity Center budget Monday evening.
Anonymous (February 24, 2008 @ 11:13pm):
If you fund RCF, the Episcopalians, Lutherans and Methodists will not be far behind....
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