In an effort to involve more students in the Madison Initiative for Undergraduates and continue the discussion of where students’ money is going, the Associated Students of Madison will host a town hall-style meeting today.

ASM and the Offices of the Dean of Students will host the meeting at 4:30 p.m. in the Student Activity Center hearing room.

The meeting is open to everyone but especially geared toward those interested in how the Madison Initiative money is to be spent, ASM Chair Tyler Junger said.

“We are trying to bring some faculty and interested students together and get them to share ideas before the decision-making process actually begins,” Junger said.

To help with the decision-making process of how the estimated $1.5 million set aside for student services will be spent, ASM is currently taking applications from students interested in being a part of the all-student Madison Initiative Oversight Committee. According to ASM Vice Chair Tom Templeton, there are five available student spots.

There is also a shared governance committee that handles general oversight of the Madison Initiative, including faculty hires. That committee has three student members, including Templeton.

Templeton said as far as what the qualifications are for a potential all-student committee member, there are not really any specific requirements. As long as students have an interest in the how money is spent and are able to look at proposals objectively, they are qualified, Templeton said.

The committee members will not actually have any final decision-making power, but Junger assures their assessments of the proposals will have a lot of weight in the chancellor’s choice, seeing as this money has come directly from students.

“Anytime you spend that much student money, you better have student input,” Junger said. “Otherwise it becomes just another tuition charge.”

Junger and Templeton also stressed the magnitude of student participation, saying it was not only absolutely necessary, but also a great opportunity for students to have a positive impact on bettering their education.

Dean of Students Lori Berquam agreed, saying the initiative committee is for all students wanting to contribute ideas about potential student services and innovations.

“Student involvement and participation is important because it is what the Initiative was built upon — student needs,” Berquam wrote in an e-mail to The Badger Herald.

The overall goal of the forum, according to ASM Secretary Kurt Gosselin is to gauge student opinion as to where the money should be spent.

“We know that not every student cares, that not every student is going to show up,” Junger said. “It’s not our goal to pack the room.”

Still, he looks forward to having as many students come as possible to share ideas about innovations and potential student services for the undergraduate students.