The Student Services Finance Committee created a mental health board in response to complaints about University Health Services funding Thursday night.
In their previous meeting, SSFC approved the UHS budget, despite many SSFC members objecting to UHS funding of student mental health services. UHS decided on their mental health funding without adequate student feedback, which the committee raised concerns about.
To remedy the lack of student feedback, Chair Jordan Pasbrig suggested creating a Mental Health Advisory board composed of students. The group debated the number of board seats, which organizations should be represented and the board application process. SSFC eventually approved creating a Mental Health Advisory board after discussing the details.
“The point of the Mental Health Advisory board is not to generate new ideas regarding mental health services, but to get direct student input before UHS implements a new plan as opposed to the UHS just coming to committee and having SSFC members students unhappy with the mental health services,” Pasbrig said. “We don’t want to vote down an entire budget because of that.”
SSFC also approved altering The Badger Catholics’ budget. The Bader Catholics are a Catholic student organization dedicated to providing spiritual sources to all students regardless of their faith, according to their website.
Last semester The Badger Catholics lost staff, so their president and vice president clocked overtime hours, Vice Chair Tessa Reilly said. Badger Catholics requested SSFC reallocate their funds to pay for the president and vice president’s additional hours, Reilly said.
SSFC also discussed changing their current wage-violation policy, standardizing eligibility and budget applications and changing the budget-approval process.
