[media-credit name=’ERIN KEEFE/Herald photo’ align=’alignright’ width=’336′][/media-credit]The Student Services Finance Committee held budget hearings for the Diversity Education Program and Wunk Sheek, a Native American student organization, Monday. In addition, budget decisions were finalized for the Wisconsin Student Public Interest Research Group and the Rape Crisis Center.

Representatives from DEP and Wunk Sheek presented to the committee their respective budget proposals for the 2006-07 fiscal year.

DEP — an organization to promote campus awareness of diversity — explained its future plans and its justifications for funds.

DEP Director Bill Herbert said a "focus on campus and local training" led to cuts in travel costs in the proposed budget.

The organization wants to improve its current programs and promote new ones, including more opportunities for student dialogue, a diversity film festival and an effort to establish a relationship between the campus and the Madison community, Herbert said.

"We want to improve campus climate," he said. "It's just not happening."

Yet SSFC members questioned the proposed programming costs.

"I see a really big problem with doubling your programming costs," SSFC representative Barbara Kiernoziak said. "How can you justify [funding] when most of the programs aren't new, they're just shuffled?"

DEP Assistant Director Eric Mata answered for the organization — now headed by a "more proactive and creative" staff — stating they want to add more educational components to their programs.

Other SSFC members were concerned with errors in the program's proposed budget, though DEP provided the committee with corrected figures during its presentation.

Herbert attributed the errors to DEP's "transitional period" between offices, but also admitted he made errors in the figures.

Despite those errors, Herbert said he still felt positive about the presentation after the hearing.

"The best you can do is put the numbers out there and have faith in the committee," he said.

Wunk Sheek's presentation, meanwhile, emphasized a need for funds in the organization's cultural events.

"Our spring pow wow is a big event," Wunk Sheek co-president Nicole Soulier said. "It's one of the biggest events of its kind."

Wunk Sheek's budget proposes an 11 percent increase from the 2005-06 budget due to cost inflation, salary increases and continual expansion.

Martin Salas, Wunk Sheek's other co-president, added the organization's biggest priorities concerning its budget are programming, salaries and travel costs.

Kiernoziak questioned the organization's spending ability however, citing last year's funding return of nearly 10 percent.

Salas said this year the organization is meeting with a finance specialist regularly to "further ensure" their funding is used properly.

SSFC also finalized budgets at the meeting for WISPIRG and the RCC.

The committee passed an amendment to zero-fund the $26,880 allotted towards a consumer advocate position for WISPIRG.

"Being a grassroots organization, they organize from the ground up," SSFC Vice-Chair Eric Saar said. "I just don't see a dire need for this position."

Representative Jackie Goessel agreed, adding the Associated Students of Madison has a committee specifically directed toward dealing with issues that would concern anyone appointed to the position.

SSFC also made cuts to WISPIRG's travel costs and entirely cut recruitment outreach costs.

Saar said it "would not be fiscally responsible" to allot more money for travel "to the same destinations for the same people."

Kiernoziak added recruitment outreach funds were "not necessary," and "exorbitant."

SSFC passed RCC's budget as proposed and commended the organization for its efficiency and fiscal responsibility.

Amid reviews, the committee also swore in new member Chrissie Harbin.

Harbin, an economics major, joined SSFC as a "more active way to be part of campus."

"It's cool to be helping allocate funds to these different organizations," she said.