The University of Wisconsin student government’s fee allocation committee voted to approve budget alterations for two campus diversity student organizations in a meeting Monday night, in the latest development from a year-long battle with the groups over funding.
The Student Services Finance Committee voted to change a budget alteration for the Multicultural Student Coalition from $22,000 to $15,052.SSFC Chair Sarah Neibart said the alteration was for professional training for members to learn how to improve diversity education on campus.
An alteration for Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Azatl?n was also approved by committee members, which Neibart said would also cover the costs for an event for Wunk Sheek, a Native American student organization.
SSFC Vice Chair Chase Wilson said he did not think the committee should allow the budget alteration because then other campus organizations would ask for changes to their budgets.
MCSCrepresentative Althea Miller said she is certain the money is coming from a salary line that is no longer in use and would not be used in the future.
“Most of the money is coming from a salary line-item that is no longer in use and will not be used. The money is going to some of the alums and other basic stuff like hotels, food and intensive training,” Miller said.
Miller said the budget alteration is needed because she feels as if they are wasting money by not using it wisely. The money will not be used if they do not alter the budget, she added.
Wilson also said he wants to know where exactly the money for the budget alteration is coming from and where it is going for specific alterations.
“This money will be thrown away then,” Miller said. “The money from the salary line is not going anywhere and isn’t helping with anything that we need help with.”
Miller said about $20,000 of the line-item could be used more wisely, adding if the budget alteration was not allowed, then students money will be wasted.
The alteration comes after multiple diversity organizations raised concerns over the budget denials in a Student Council meeting in March.
In the meeting,MCSCmembers said the cuts illustrated a “multicultural incompetence” byASMmembers. She added she believed the perceived problem could be rectified by diversity training.
MCSCalso recently sent a 15-page letter to Chancellor David Ward as a final appeal for student segregated fee funding after being denied for not meetingSSFCcriteria and missing deadlines. The group was also denied in multiple appeals before theASM Student Judiciary.
The committee delayed a vote on a special contract hearing for the Wisconsin Student Public Interest Research Group, which Chair Matt Kozlowski said is fundamental for the group’s professional staff.
SSFCalso delayed a review of a budget cut for Safe Arrival For Everyone taxi cab service for Thursday, after the committee voted to cut funding for the campus transportation service during an earlier meeting when some members agreed the system is inefficient and underutilized.
While some members disagreed with the timing of the decision during the March meeting, Wilson said the service was redundant with ridership decreasing each year.
