The Student Services Finance Committee voted Thursday to approve Live Free’s budget and held a budget hearing for the Adventure Learning Programs.
Live Free was approved for an overall budget of $43,473.50 for the upcoming fiscal year, a reduction of $3,427 from last year’s budget. The savings came mostly from reducing the hours worked per week by the organization’s leadership team.
Representatives from ALPs presented their club’s budget proposal for the 2020 fiscal year, which included funding for four styles of team building workshops.
ALPs’ facilitator, Nina Rozwadowski, said the workshops are essential for communication skills, goal-setting and decision-making abilities that eventually translate over into marketable skills for the job market.
“All students who participate in our workshops walk away with valuable skills,” Rozwadowski said.
SSFC approves massive ALPS budget, Badger Catholic boasts savings in 2015 fiscal year
The budget requested by ALPs for the upcoming fiscal year increased since last year’s. The organization is asking for $186,262.29, up from $178,219.75.
The increase accommodates for a larger number of staff advisors, wage exemption hours and need for staff apparel.
Vice Chair Zaakir Abdul-Wahid raised concerns about past instances in which ALPs has cancelled events.
Rozwadowski said ALPs’ cancellations were due to the members not being able to work more than 20 paid hours per week. The new budget asked for more money to be budgeted towards their paid working hours so they wouldn’t have to cancel events.
“We had a lot of trouble [with cancellations] in the end of August,” Rozwadowski said. “It’s when lots of new [student] groups come together and want their members to meet and bond for the first time.”
ALPs is the largest SSFC-funded student organization on campus, Chair Jeremy Swanson said.
Jessica O’Neill, ALPs student director, said the organization will continue to experience growth due to the large number of freshman students ALPs was able to reach this fall.
“[SSFC] has done a good job helping us grow and being accommodating to our needs,” O’Neill said.
SSFC will vote at their next meeting on approving the proposed budget for ALPs.
