The ASM Grant Allocation Committee held its third meeting Thursday in the Student Activity Center to discuss grants for Art for Change, the Wisconsin Law Review and the American Medical Association Interim Meeting.
According to the GAC website, the group’s primary goal is to allocate funds in four different sections — operation grants, event grants, travel grants and rant transfers.
The committee first discussed an event grant for the Art for Change care package event. The organization is requesting $432.15 to fund the creation of care packages for patients at the University of Wisconsin and St. Mary’s children’s hospitals. The care packages include tote bags and crafts for the patients.
The GAC amended the amount to $30 based on their policy against using grant money for donations. The Committee tied 2-2 to approve the event, which resulted in a failure. GAC Rep. Syprian Oduor made an argument against the grant, stating the event had no educational value. Chair Gracie Nelson provided resources with opportunities for the club to receive funding outside of the GAC.
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Second, the committee discussed event funding for the Wisconsin Law Review’s Symposium, “Controlling the Supreme Court.” This event will provide 10.5 CLE credits for law students and attorneys and will discuss the recent Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision. The funding would support a two-day event with 22 professionals from around the country and seven law professors. The event is open to all UW students who register.
The GAC approved this $3231.81 grant in a vote of 4-0. During the meeting, Rep. Kenny Hsu said the Law Review will have enough outreach to involve all students that would like to participate.
GAC Chair Nelson said there is a cap of 2% of the budget ($4,000) and anything exceeding that would need additional arguments.
Finally, the committee voted on travel funding for the American Medical Association Medical Student Section Interim Meeting. This proposed event will consist of four students traveling to Honolulu, Hawaii for an interim meeting and House of Delegates event Nov. 10-15.
The travel grant will only cover transportation, providing $500 per student. Following the event, the AMA MSS will host an information session for all medical students to give a summary of the events. This was approved by the GAC 4-0.
The meeting concluded with remarks from GAC Chair Gracie Nelson, who encouraged all organizations to apply for grants, as the committee only used 20% of its budget last year. These grants can cover travel costs, events, operations and transfers that fall within their policies and guidelines.
