The Associated Students of Madison Student Services Finance Committee recommended budgets for University Health Services and Recreational Sports to Chancellor Biddy Martin Feb. 15.
Although the committee ultimately commended Rec Sports for their fiscal responsibility and a budget that did not include segregated fee increases, they engaged in a much more philosophical debate on their recommendation’s level of specificity for UHS.
The 2010-11 UHS budget includes a 6.08 percent increase from the previous year and, if approved by Martin March 3, would mean an increase in segregated fees for students of $8 a semester.
The proposed budget for UHS for the 2010-11 academic year is $13,629,445.
“Healthcare as a general topic for discussion in this country has come to the forefront; we do have to be cognizant that unless certain changes in Congress come through we’re going to be looking down the barrel of significantly higher budgets each year,” Secretary Matt Manes said.
UHS’s budget for the 2010-11 academic year includes a number of program changes, if the committee were to deem budget cuts necessary, including the elimination of a member of the prevention staff.
Although Manes said the increase is warranted, other committee members felt cutting one of the programs could curb such an increase.
Vice Chair Michael Romenesko said eliminating the member of the prevention staff would be a way to cut costs without crippling some of the prevention services offered by UHS.
Some committee members expressed concern that making a recommendation to Martin without knowing the exact duties of the member was irresponsible of the committee.
“I’m not willing to cut a staff member when I do not know the details of the service,” Rep. Jake Burow said.
Representative Sam Peters said it could damage SSFC and UHS to make a recommendation without investigation.
UHS Director Sarah Van Orman said cutting one of the members of the prevention staff would be a 20 percent cut in staff for the program and would be detrimental to the prevention services provided.
While a vote was called on the recommendation to eliminate the prevention staff member, no member voted in favor of the measure.
Rep. Boan Sianipar said he believed that a 6.08 percent increase was too much to give to students and wanted to bring it to the chancellor’s attention that the increase could be too great.
“It’s not unprecedented for SSFC’s budget recommendations to not be followed. The more specific recommendations are harder to sell,” Chair Brandon Williams said.
The committee did not pass any recommendations on any specific programs to cut, but passed a recommendation to bring forth both arguments in the debate and have the chancellor determine programs to cut in the UHS budget.
Van Orman said the overall increase in campus health care is under the inflation of health care costs across the country.
In a significantly shorter decision, SSFC recommended Rec Sports budget for approval.The committee commended Rec Sports on a fiscally responsible budget. However, Williams wanted to clarify that although the committee commended the use of segregated fees, it cannot be construed as an endorsement for the referendum for the Natatorium addition.
