Members of student government addressed a policy violation by a student group during a meeting Thursday, ultimately deciding to table the issue for members to clear up any confusion.
Student Services Finance Committee Chair Sarah Neibart reported to the committee that Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztl?n had incurred its second policy violation in the area of advertising.
Neibart said the second violation occurred when MEChA did not hand in a co-sponsorship form for an event put on with Wunk Sheek a required three weeks in advance but instead handed it in the day of the event.
She explained that in addition to this, the group did not pay for the event despite intending to because the entertainer of the event said they did not want to take the money because MEChA had experienced financial trouble.
SSFC Rep. Tia Nowack said she was surprised the item was on the agenda because after talking with the committee’s staff, she believed it was more of a misunderstanding than a violation.
“I think that this was a giant miscommunication, if that,” Nowack said. “To file this as a second policy violation would be wrong.”
Neibart said she felt the event was a violation and that when she spoke with the staff members after Nowack, they had come to a realization that a violation had occurred.
After more debate, Rep. Joseph Vanden Avond motioned to table the item to the next meeting as many members expressed confusion and a desire to look into the issue more.
SSFC also passed legislation to extend the sunset clause to remove General Student Services funding for Wisconsin Public Interest Research Group upon its attainment of contract status.
The committee had originally set the date as Dec. 15 earlier this year, but members agreed this date would not be feasible. After debating the date of the sunset clause, the committee came to a decision to set it as May 18, 2012.
The committee also granted an exemption to a rule prohibiting groups from using GSSF funds to finance programing at off-campus venues to F.H. King, a student organization promoting sustainable agriculture.
F.H. King Finance Director Isaac Sinnott spoke to the committee about the request and said the group asks to use The Crossing – a venue on the corner of University and Charter streets – for a kitchen to hold workshops and programming. He said there are not any adequate venues located on campus to fit the needs of the group.
Rep. David Vines said he felt it would be silly to debate zoning and deny the group’s request since the location is right across the street from what is considered campus.
The committee also passed the Student Judiciary budget of $48,758.70 in an 11-0-1 vote.
During the meeting, Greater University Tutoring Service also presented its budget for the 2012-2013 fiscal year to SSFC. The committee will reach a decision Monday.
