Student Judiciary is scheduled to hear today an appeal from a University of Wisconsin sorority regarding a denial from the Student Activity Center Governing Board to grant the group space in the new center.
Delta Sigma Theta applied in February for space in the Student Activity Center, which will open during spring 2009, and was denied because they did not meet the minimum number of active members required by the board.
According to Delta Sigma Theta President Devon Rembert-Carroll, the group had only nine active members at the time of application, one member short of the minimum member requirement set by SACGB. The sorority has since gained five members, making the group eligible for space in the center, she added.
“We just want them to reconsider us,” Rembert-Carroll said. “We think that the room space would be very beneficial for us because we have weekly meetings and for storing documents.”
Roxanne Watts, secretary of Delta Sigma Theta, said the sorority first brought the complaint to board, which informed them they must make a formal appeal through SJ.
According to Gestina Sewell, chair of Associated Students of Madison and a member of the governing board, any group must go through SJ if they wish to appeal the decision made by the board. But the group could also reapply for space this upcoming fall, she added.
There are 63 spaces available in the building to be allocated to student groups, and one third of those spaces have been set aside for fall applicants.
Governing board chair Lauren Vollrath said the board wants to make sure those groups requesting space in the fall have the opportunity to get it.
“If Student Judiciary overturns our decision, we will just have to put them (Delta Sigma Theta) back into the group of student organizations that we are allocating space to currently,” Vollrath said.
Delta Sigma Theta will also be requesting at the hearing that the board reconsider the member requirements when reviewing applicants.
According to the complaint filed by the sorority, the historically black fraternities and sororities have smaller numbers of members due to the campus demographics, but say they still need the space to conduct business.
