Three large student organizations at the University of Wisconsin hoped to secure additional funding Thursday night, but only one left a meeting with ASM's Student Services Finance Committee with approved contract status.
SSFC, the funding arm of the Associated Students of Madison, debated for nearly four hours over the financial future of Collegians for a Constructive Tomorrow, UW Roman Catholic Foundation and Wisconsin Public Interest Research Group, ultimately only granting contract status to WISPIRG.
With contract status, groups are able to receive extra funding and gain more independence, CFACT member Jordan Smith said.
"The contract status would continue to allow for CFACT to be part of a system where it is granted resources where we can grow," Smith said.
SSFC vice president Katrina Flores disagreed with CFACT’s request, citing their reliance on non-student staff.
"Students know what is best for students overall," Flores said.
By a 2 to 5 vote, with one member abstaining, CFACT was not granted contract status, for the first time in three years..
UWRCF chair Beth Czarnecki argued the foundation is the only group on campus that discusses Catholic issues.
Czarnecki said the group hopes to bring the Catholic Church to campus, faith to students' lives and give them tools to bring other students.
Throughout the debate, committee members seemed most concerned with UWRCF’s criteria violation by using allocated fees without prior permission to purchase supplies. The group was denied contract status with a 2 to 4 vote, with one person abstaining.
Czarnecki said UWRCF was also denied contract status last fall, and speculated it was due to the lawsuit UWRCF filed against SSFC last year.
"I think there was a lot of confusion at that time," Czarnecki said.
Jeff Rolling, a member of WISPIRG, received contract status for the group with a unanimous vote.
"The issues we work on extend beyond the campus," Rolling said.
The committee agreed with Rolling, who said students have responsibilities both on campus and in the community.
Both members of CFACT and UWRCF left the meeting before it adjourned.
