Members of the University of Wisconsin’s student governing are ramping up their work on affordability and student debt campaigns ahead of the start of fall classes.

Members of University of Wisconsin’s student government are continuing to work on student issues over the summer in addition to planning campaigns lined up for this fall.

One of the major campaigns Associated Students of Madison worked on this summer was the allocable segregated fees campaign in the state budget. The Legislature’s Joint Finance Committee approved a budget that would freeze the allocable portion of all the segregated fees for the next two years at the same rate as academic year 2012-2013.

ASM Spokesperson Grace Bolt said this was a major issue because it would require the General Student Services Fund budgets already deliberated by the Student Services Finance Committee to be altered for the coming and next fiscal year. 

“This would definitely lead to violations of viewpoint neutrality because we would have to be deciding who is going to get their money shaved off and why this group is getting less money than they were already allocated,” Bolt said.

ASM spent May and June lobbying legislators, communicating with other student leaders and sending letters to Gov. Scott Walker telling him this was a violation of student rights and should not be something allowed to happen without legal repercussions, Bolt said.

Walker vetoed the amendment on June 30, allowing SSFC to continue its work as usual, Bolt said. 

ASM also has multiple campaigns lined up for the upcoming fall semester.

ASM will focus on its campus entertainment campaign, which it is continuing from last year, Bolt said. The campaign aims to increase entertainment options around campus, particularly events that cater to those 18 and older.

Student loan debt reform will be the focus of another campaign this coming fall, ASM Chair David Gardner said.

ASM will be looking at affordability and what students around campus are paying in general, Gardner said. This is an important student issue that ASM hopes to highlight, he said.

Bolt said ASM touched on the topic last year and it is something the Legislative Affairs and University Affairs Committees will be working on throughout the year. The lobbying will be on a federal level, she said.

ASM also expects to begin a Sexual Assault Prevention Campaign. During the past year, ASM worked to lay a foundation for prevention and hopes to continue that work and team up with various groups and organizations on campus, Gardner said.

Gardner said he also plans to make ASM focused more on grassroots campaigns.

“We need to work on campaigns that achieve victories for students that are best for student rights,” Gardner said.

Additionally, ASM is looking forward to a renewed recruitment effort, Bolt said.

“We are really excited for next year,” Bolt said. “We are looking for some bright ideas and new faces to come into the organization. It is really important that students get involved because that is what ASM is. We are the student voice. As many students as can express themselves and voice what they want to see on campus is how we really get things done.”