The Student Services Financial Committee met Monday night for budgetary hearings, opening another chapter in the well-publicized history of segregated fees at UW-Madison.
After spending September on hearings to determine whether applying student organizations are eligible for segregated fees, SSFC moved into the second phase of the funding process.
The Student Leadership Program and WSUM Student Radio were the first to be heard by SSFC. SSFC is the branch of the Associated Students of Madison responsible for the allocation of mandatory segregated fees to student organizations.
The SLP is requesting $33,605 for the 2002-03 school year, compared to their budget of $17,982 for this year. WSUM is asking for $665,268 for 2002-03, down from $669,004.
The SLP and WSUM requests for funding were heard and will be determined at a later date.
SSFC Chair Lamont Smith said the funding for the organizations will depend on need and that each organization’s request will be reviewed independently.
“According to ASM bylaws, when an organization is deemed eligible it qualifies them to receive a minimum amount of funding based on basic needs such as staffing costs and office supplies,” Smith said. “Beyond that, the funding is determined on an organization-to-organization basis.”
The UW Labor Center, also scheduled for budgetary hearings, was postponed due to extenuating circumstances. The UW Labor Center is asking for $10,360 for next year, up from their request of $8,356 last year.
The eligibility hearings themselves wrapped up during Monday night’s meeting as well.
Both the Indigenous Law Student Association and the State-Langdon Neighborhood Association, both of whom were applying for segregated fees for the first time, were denied eligibility and will not receive segregated fees for the 2002-03 school year. These two groups join the All-Greek Council as the only organizations deemed ineligible.
SSFC committee member Scott Spector said the ILSA was denied because the bulk of the funding it was requesting was for events, which are usually funded through grants given by the ASM Finance Committee.
“I am disappointed that the ILSA didn’t qualify,” Spector said. “Since this is the first year that we are holding these hearings I think that people are confused as to what should qualify as a student service. I think in the case of the ILSA, the events that the organization provides are a service to students.”
The decision to deny the State-Langdon Neighborhood Association was unanimous among voting committee members. Spector said the benefits derived from the organization do not provide a service to students.
“A neighborhood association is not an organization that is open to benefit students on campus,” Spector said. “They tend to be political in nature and are exclusive to students that live in the neighborhood.”
SSFC Budgetary Hearings will continue this Wednesday at 6:00 p.m. TITU.
