The Student Services Finance Committee met for the first time this semester to discuss Greater University Tutoring Service eligibility and review summer events.

GUTS eligibility

Student organizations must present to SSFC to determine whether they are eligible to receive funding from the General Student Services Fund. Organizations must do this despite whether or not they have been a student organization on campus previously.

Organizations that are considered eligible are then given a two year term of eligibility.

The Greater University Tutoring Service or GUTS, is a student organization that helps students on campus connect to tutors for assistance in a variety of academic subjects.

Having been a student organization for more than 70 years, GUTS presented to SSFC to renew their eligibility as a student organization on campus.

Catherine Vu and Andrew Mangham, two University of Wisconsin graduate students who run GUTS’ office, presented GUTS’ case to SSFC.

They explained the purpose of GUTS and how it is run, as well as information about how it differs from similar programs.

“GUTS is a on-demand service. Every semester we look at what students want to be tutored in and what kind of tutors we have available on campus and then we work to set up tutors so they are available for students,” Vu said.

After GUTS finished their presentation, the committee opened the floor for questions.

Representative Kyle Watter questioned the meaning of GUTS’ claim to being an accredited tutoring service. But Mangham countered by explaining GUTS’ uniqueness.

“GUTS is a certified tutoring center,” Mangham said. “It gives us the chance to say that students have gone through a nationally recognized program.”

SSFC will make a final decision whether to approve GUTS’ eligibility during their meeting Monday.

SSFC summer in review

SSFC Chair Thuy Pham reviewed various meetings SSFC members had with different departments over the course of the summer.

Some of these conversations included talking to the Rape Crisis Center about renewing a contract, discussing with UHS about AlcoholEdu as it enters its third year on campus. SSFC also talked to the division of student life about the Madison B-cycle bikes.

Madison B-cycle, a for-profit company that provides the red bike stations located around campus, wanted to hand out information through ASM when bus passes are distributed to students, Pham said.

After meeting with the division of student life and discussing the possibility, SSFC concluded ASM would not have a relationship with Madison B-cycle, Pham said.

Due to its for-profit nature, the committee decided against B-cycle’s request.

“We came to conclusion that we will not have any relationship with B-cycle. We do not feel comfortable incorporating their information with the bus passes,” Pham said.

SSFC’s next meeting is 6:30 p.m. Monday at the Student Activity Center.