Student Judiciary decided Thursday to hear a second appeal from Campus Women’s Center against Student Services Finance Committee, as well as four appeals against Student Activity Center Governing Board, next semester.
According to the complaint filed by CWC, the organization is asking the court for an eligibility hearing before the Associated Students of Madison’s Student Council.
SSFC Legal Counsel Kurt Gosselin said if the case is approved by SJ, it goes to Student Council, where they will decide CWC’s eligibility status. If CWC receives eligibility from Student Council, then the organization will go back to SSFC to have their budget heard.
He added if the case does proceed back to SSFC, then CWC would be guaranteed at the very least a minimum budget of just under $5,000, depending on how SSFC members decide the budget and debate on individual line items.
For this second appeal to SJ, CWC cited four counts against SSFC.
One of the counts stated the appeal hearing CWC was granted to re-present their services for eligibility status was neither fair nor viewpoint neutral.
Tina Trevi?o-Murphy, CWC programming coordinator, said in the complaint it was clear that SSFC’s interpretation of an “appeal” hearing, held Nov. 12, was more of a hearing without any decision being made, as it seemed SSFC treated their case as a dead issue.
Trevi?o-Murphy said if the appeal is approved by SJ, CWC will present to Student Council in hopes to receive eligibility status. However, she added the organization is taking matters one step at a time and will decide how to proceed once SJ has made the decision on their appeal.
“CWC’s appeal is not unexpected, but I think at this point, they have very little left to allege. I am confident that, should the judiciary decide to hear, they will make the appropriate decision in favor of SSFC,” said Brandon Williams, chair of SSFC.
The other four complaints to SJ are from Kappa Delta Chi, Wisconsin Singers, Student Labor Action Coalition and Collegians for a Constructive Tomorrow — four of the nine groups who were denied eligibility for space in the SAC for 2010-11.
According to Lauren Vollrath, chair of SACBG, 36 groups applied for the 81 spaces available.
The groups who were denied failed to meet one or more of the four criteria: being a registered student organization, having no intentional violations within the past two years, being a GSSF group or having 10 active members and using the space for a minimum of five hours a week, according to Vollrath.
She added she will be consulting with Gosselin to prepare the cases.
Christina Wilson, Upper Midwest Regional director for CFACT said the appeal, submitted Dec. 1, was based on solid ground.
“[SACGB] made a hasty and wrong decision that we feel should be remedied,” Wilson said. “We’re not here to fight student government; it’s a misunderstanding that will be cleared up, and we hope it will be quickly.”
