Disregarding former University of Wisconsin Chancellor John Wiley’s recommendation before his departure, Chancellor Biddy Martin approved one UW student organization to receive funds to pay for non-student professional staff last month.
After several reviews by the Contract Status Advisory Board, Martin passed down her decision to allow the Wisconsin Student Public Interest Group to use segregated fees to pay full-time, non-student professional staff.
WISPIRG is now the only student organization to receive this contract status, which WISPIRG Chair Scott Thompson said is a necessity for the group to continue.
In a memo evaluating WISPIRG’s contract status dated June 6, 2008, Wiley said while he would allow the group to keep their already approved budget for the coming year — including funding for non-student staff — for transitional purposes, he did not believe they met the necessary requirements.
“I am declaring unequivocally that WISPIRG will pursue contract status in the future at its own peril, as I am firmly of the opinion that it does not meet the requirements … and I will so advise the person appointed to succeed me as Chancellor for UW-Madison,” Wiley said in the memo.
Three separate 2008 review meetings of the Contract Status Advisory Board ended with a 4-2 vote against granting WISPIRG contract status.
Wiley upheld the board’s decision, saying WISPIRG’s services did not address a substantial need on campus that cannot be found elsewhere or through other means, nor were they open to the benefit of all students, and therefore the group did not warrant contract status.
After additional review in June of the contract status following Wiley’s recommendation the advisory board sided with WISPIRG, recommending Martin grant the group the ability to fund non-student staff.
Martin determined this review did not adequately address the issues Wiley raised and requested the advisory board reconvene for this purpose.
Upon Martin’s request, the Contract Status Advisory Board met again Oct. 30 to consider Wiley’s evaluation, coming to a unanimous decision that WISPIRG did in fact deserve contract status, having adequately addressed the issues Wiley raised.
“We felt that WISPIRG presented ample evidence that paid professional staff is required to perform their service, and that there exists a substantial need for their service on this campus,” said the advisory board in a letter to Martin received Nov. 2.
The letter went on to say, contrary to Wiley’s conclusion, WISPIRG’s services are in fact to the benefit of all students.
WISPIRG currently employs four full-time, non-student staff members that Thompson said allows them to be as effective as they are in affecting state and national legislation.
“Basically, if you take away the contract status we become a group of students who care about stuff,” Thompson said. “If you give us that status, we become a group of students that is effective in influencing legislation across the country.”
