As grassroots, student-run organizations begin to mobilize campaigns on campus to raise awareness in hopes of a reversal of the decision made by the Student Services Finance Committee to deny funding to the Campus Women’s Center, the group is strategizing how to address the conflict.
According to SSFC Chair Brandon Williams, the denial was made on the grounds that a simple majority, 51 percent, of CWC’s timed focus was not considered to be direct services available to all UW students.
“Some of the programs they offer are only available to students who participate in the group,” Williams said.
Not all members of SSFC agreed the denial should have been made on these grounds, however. Former SSFC Vice Chair and current Rep. Kyle Szarzynski, though not present for the vote, said he believed the direct services portion of CWC’s group programming did in fact constitute at least 51 percent of the organization.
He added the denial was made based on a dispute over 1 percent of the CWC’s programming.
“They really were just asking for this elaborate justification to prove that extra 1 percent. Everybody agreed that at least half of what they do is a direct service,” Szarzynski said.
As the ruling stands, CWC will not be eligible to receive any of the money granted through the General Student Services Fund that is allocated to student organizations on campus through the SSFC.
This year CWC received $85,205 from the GSSF, according to records obtained by The Badger Herald.
While CWC hopes to continue to exist in some capacity without the funding, the group members are worried they will no longer be able to afford funding for student positions, rent for their office in Memorial Union and will likely have to return all of their computers, which are rented through ASM, according to CWC Program Director Tina Trevino-Murphy.
There are several avenues CWC can pursue to have the ruling overturned, according to Williams.
An appeal to the ruling can be made on the grounds there was a viewpoint neutrality violation on the part of SSFC, meaning the views of the CWC played a part in the decision to deny funding by SSFC.
A second ground for appeal is SSFC did not follow due process guidelines in making the decision.
He added the decision certainly could be overturned, but the only effective method of doing so would be to follow the process SSFC has in place to deal with injustices.
“The CWC is disappointed with the vote, as this may eliminate the center’s services such as peer-facilitated support and discussion groups, family services for student parents … and the safe space the CWC office offers for women on campus. However, the CWC looks forward to continue working with the SSFC to resolve this funding conflict,” read a statement released by CWC Wednesday.
As CWC prepares to work with the SSFC to resolve the conflict, a grassroots, student-run organization has begun to orchestrate a campuswide movement to save the CWC.
“Save the Campus Women’s Center is a new and growing coalition of students and community members who value the resources and services provided by the CWC,” the group’s statement read.
The first campaign of Save the CWC is “Badgers Go Blue for CWC,” in which the group is calling for all supporters of the CWC to wear blue on Thursdays.
The purpose of this campaign is twofold, according to the statement: The campaign seeks to raise campus awareness about the SSFC’s denial of CWC’s eligibility and to create a visual representation of campus support for the CWC.
Correction: The article should have stated that Kyle Szarzynski was the former vice chair of SSFC, not chair. The story has been changed to reflect this. We regret the error.
