[media-credit name=’JAKE NAUGHTON/Herald photo’ align=’alignnone’ width=’648′][/media-credit]Starting Friday, University of Wisconsin student organizations will be able to apply for office space in the new Student Activity Center, part of the new University Square building.

The SAC will be located on the third and fourth floors of the new University Square building between University Avenue and Johnson Street, bordered by Lake Street.

"There will be a variety of different space options for the organizations in the Student Activity Center, and the only criteria is being a registered student organization," said Student Activity Center Committee chair Renee Mechanic. "Applications will be online available on the [Associated Students of Madison] homepage this Friday."

Available to the student organizations are "forty 5-feet by 8-feet cubicles, 16 offices, seven large office suites, storage, mailbox space, large multi-purpose room for meetings, a study space for students to hang out and socialize, along with a kitchen and one room that can be made into a dance floor," Mechanic said.

Mechanic said the new building will allow for collaboration between organizations.

But Alex Gallagher, ASM Student Services Finance Committee Chair, said the new building will not have enough room for every student group.

"There is currently inadequate space available for student organizations," Gallagher said. "The SAC will provide more space for groups. That is an improvement, but it is not an end-all to the student organization space issue on campus."

Gallagher added every group SSFC funds is interested in office space and are looking to the SAC as an option.

"The big reason why there is inadequate space available to student organizations is that segregated fees can not be spent on off-campus rent," Gallagher said.

Gallagher cited a Board of Regents ruling making it illegal to spend student-segregated fees on off-campus rent for organizations.

"I think the ruling is problematic [and it] doesn't address specific policies and allows for very vague interpretation of state law," Gallagher said. "Not being able to fund off-campus rent takes away the student's ability to decide where segregated fees go."

Mechanic added there would be no rent for registered student organizations that use the space, although the large spaces will require a deposit.

"The space at SAC will be rent-free and covered by segregated fees,” she said. “There is a possibility that there will be a deposit for the larger suites that will be returned at the end of the school year."

A Student Activity Center Committee-appointed governing board will decide which student groups will be able to occupy the space, Mechanic said.

"We're not sure yet of the mix of people who are going to be on the board, some student representatives and some administrators for sure," Mechanic said.

Four student groups — Student Print, WSUM, Student Run Business and ASM — and University Health Services already have space in the new building, Mechanic said.

Their offices were drawn into the building's plans and do not interfere with the space available to other student organizations, and they will begin moving in January 2009, Mechanic said.