The Student Services Finance Committee met Monday night in Memorial Union to hear and debate funding for three student organizations.

The Wisconsin Public Research Interest Group, a student-run public organization extensively involved on campus, presented next year's budget at a hearing before the committee.

Six WISPIRG members spoke on campaigns the organization is currently running, including Affordable Higher Education, Preventing Hunger and Homelessness, the New Voters Project and "Big Red, Go Green," which addresses energy efficiency.

Several budget items were in question, as the organization is struggling with rising administrative and recruitment costs. WISPIRG is one of several student organizations that hire full-time, nonstudent staff to maximize their effectiveness and to lobby state and national governments on student issues.

SSFC Chair Alex Gallagher was pleased with the attention the committee paid to the WISPIRG proposed budget.

"I think that providing a high level of scrutiny adds legitimacy to the work that we do here," Gallagher said.

WISPIRG chair Jeff Rolling, who presented the organization's case and answered an exhaustive round of questioning, was also satisfied with the hearing.

"I feel from the reactions of the SSFC members that we answered their questions and there weren't any overlying problems with our budget," Rolling said.

The committee will make its decision at its next meeting Thursday evening at Union South.

Another environmental group at the meeting, Collegians For A Constructive Tomorrow, was less fortunate.

The organization seeks to address environmental issues with free-market solutions, said campus organizer Jordan Smith.

"We do that by bringing speakers to campus and running an internship program," Smith said.

The organization was seeking contract status to retain its two full-time staff members, who help the organization run effectively and enable it to offer 180 internships to students, after already being denied funding earlier this semester.

After an appeals case before ASM's Student Judiciary, SJ ordered a retrial for CFACT.

Without these full-time employees, CFACT's representatives said, CFACT would be forced to drastically cut its internship and outreach programs. Committee members questioned why the organization needed full-time staff when a larger group of students could accomplish the same task of running the organization.

In the end, the committee decided a strong enough case was not presented and voted down the appeal 5-0.

The committee moved on to debate funding for the Adventure Learning Program before unanimously approving more than $125,000 for the group to continue its mission of providing team-building workshops for students.

The committee's meeting lasted nearly 4 1/2 hours, but according to Gallagher, thoroughness is important when dealing with student-segregated fees.

"When we get to the decision portions, our members will be making informed and rational decisions concerning student money rather than making arbitrary decisions," Gallagher said.