The Student Services Finance Committee approved the Recreational Sports proposed budget of $3,296,191 with a vote of 12-1-1 and recommended an increase in student segregated fees Monday.
SSFC recommended Chancellor Rebecca Blank to increase the segregated fee by 5 percent per student per semester in accordance with a recommendation from the Student Leadership Recreational Council.
The segregated fee increase is to be explicitly used for student wages, extending business hours, emergency repairs to facilities as needed and extending programming, according to the amended budget.
SSFC representatives were conflicted over whether or not to increase segregated fees.
“I, on one hand, really want to give our entity some certainty about their business and give them the best quality service they deserve,” SSFC Vice Chair Thuy Pham said. “Rec Sports cannot compete with student wages on campus because they don’t have the funding to do that. Right now I’m very torn.”
Rep. Colin Barushok said an increase in segregated fees for Rec Sports was necessary because they were very low in comparison to other Big Ten schools. The segregated fees requested by Rec Sports do not reflect the services students demand, he said.
Rep. Jessica Franco-Morales said with the current proposed budget cuts, the University of Wisconsin is in a state of unknown.
“I don’t feel confident that I have been given all the information I need to make a decision about an increase,” Franco-Morales said. “In light of economic climate, I do not feel comfortable considering an increase after hearing many times how Rec Sports can continue to operate with a 0 percent increase.”
Rep. Grace Bolt asked for an increase in segregated fees to be specifically used for an increase in student wages.
Chair Devon Maier made it clear that the segregated fee increase would not be tied to the Rec Sports Master Plan. The segregated fee increase would improve Rec Sports so students currently using the facilities and programs would benefit.
“We are students seeing a student need on campus that administration can’t see,” Maier said.
The Student Activity Center Governing Board proposed a budget of $367,466, an 8.22 percent increase from the 2015 fiscal year budget of $339,553.40.
The SACGB oversees the SAC and is responsible for making decisions regarding building design.
The budget includes a $3,123 increase to add a vice chair who would help evaluate the student groups that have offices in the SAC and put together monthly reports on them.
The budget also includes a $16,000 increase to purchase office furniture for the Student Business Incubator office. A $25,000 increase to the budget was added to make renovations to student offices that would offer more flexibility.
SSFC approved the budget with a vote of 13-0-1.
The Wisconsin Union presented its proposed budget of $10,586,316.
The Wisconsin Union provides recreational, cultural, educational and social opportunities by offering events, programs and services.
The proposed budget has a 2 percent increase in segregated fees, which comes to a $2.69 increase per student per semester. This will produce $257,000 in revenue.
Twenty-nine percent of the Wisconsin Union’s revenue is generated by segregated fees. A deficit of $189,452 is anticipated for the 2015-16 budget. Wisconsin Union student wages will increase by two percent to $8.65 for starting wages.
The Wisconsin Union budget decision will take place Monday.
