Associated Students of Madison approved a new budget plan at the Student Council meeting Wednesday cutting their General Student Services Fund by 30 percent.
Cuts stemmed from the removal of a variety of student organizations from the budget including Collegians For Constructive Tomorrow, Engineers Without Borders and the Legal Information Center, Student Services Finance Committee chair Kurt Gosselin said.
According to Gosselin, the student organizations’ failure to fulfill all 19 equally weighted university-funded organization requirements resulted in their removal from the General Student Services Fund.
Gosselin added the primary reason for funding ineligibility derived from an inability to provide a service or event tailored to all students on campus.
Engineers Without Borders, for example, appealed the decision to rescind their funds, but SSFC maintained their stance. Although the club provides services to EWB members and other countries, their organization does not provide direct service to the student body, Gosselin said.
The Legal Information Center also inspired debate. However, failure to turn in funding applications by deadline resulted in removal from the budget.
“Value [of the organization] isn’t taken into account,” Gosselin said. “The court ruled that every criteria has equal weight and failure to meet any one not only suggests that the organization shouldn’t, but mandates that it can’t receive eligibility.”
The Wisconsin Student Lobby, as well as the Working Class Student Union were alternatively added to the GSSF budget and will both be receiving upwards of $60,000 for the 2010 fiscal year.
Beyond cutting funds, ASM voted on adding positions, creating and manipulating stipends as well as increasing fiscal support of organizations.
ASM also removed financial support for membership fees for the United States Student Association saving $10, 367, equivalent to 25 cents per student, said SSFC representative Tyler Junger.
“It is an inappropriate expense of student funds,” Junger said. “[USSA] is going to continue its work whether or not UW-Madison pays it.”
Student Council also moved to increase funding for ASM’s press office webmaster position from $9.19 per hour to $12 to make the position more desirable and improve ASM’s external image.
