The University of Wisconsin student government’s funding allocation committee established new subcommittees to ensure meetings are more effective at a Monday night meeting.
Student Services Finance Committee Chair Sarah Neibart created the subcommittees among members in SSFC, each one dealing with a different topic, from advertising violations to funding.
“Each subcommittee reviews what happened last session and devises new policies or amends policies so meetings can run much more smoothly,” Neibart said. “Each group writes a new policy as to which we want to make these processes run more smoothly.”
Another subcommittee in the committee aims to create more incentives to interact with General Student Service Funds groups. Working together will help SSFC avoid problems and build a better relationship with GSSF groups, Secretary Ellie Bruecker said.
“We shouldn’t come to meetings and make assumptions as to what the [group] is spending money on,” Bruecker said. “We could have avoided many problems this year with better communication.”
The committee also issued the Wisconsin Student Lobby a $249 penalty due to advertising violations. This was their second advertising violation, Neibart said, meaning SSFC can issue any penalty they agree upon.
She said a fine is issued on the second offense and SSFC can take the action that they deem appropriate to fit the violation.
Neibart added the committee is in the position to reinstate a penalty if members
do not think a 1 percent penalty of the budget is appropriate. The $249 penalty was a 0.5 percent penalty of the budget.
Rep. Tia Nowack said she believes there should be a major difference between wage and advertising policy violations. She said because the advertisement in violation was only distributed among members of the student government, WSL should not be penalized too
strictly.
Vice Chair Chase Wilson agreed advertising policies should carry more weight than wage violations.
“We have advertising policies with very strict rules. You have to fine with anything
that is distributed, even though it was only distributed throughout the Student Council,” Neibart said.
The committee will take back up initiatives to foster better working relationships with GSSF groups in their Thursday meeting.
