The University of Wisconsin Student Services Finance Committee met Monday night to discuss budgets for registered student organizations and the eligibility of the Wisconsin Black Student Union to receive university funding.
Discussions on the WBSU centered around the classification of general member meetings as core programs of the group, with some representatives for and some against this classification.
Eligibility for WBSU passed with 4-2 vote, with three abstentions, before moving into the discussion of their budget.
SSFC passes budgets for The People’s Farm, Student Leadership Program
WBSU returned 24% of their budget in the 2023 fiscal year, which was close to $15,000. Under SSFC policies and procedures, any organization may not request a budget increase if they return 25% of their budget, which WBSU is very close to reaching, Rep. Ryan Thiele said.
An amendment was passed to cut $4,532 from their budget, with a series of amendments passed subsequently that cut funding from various areas to reach the goal. While passing amendments, the committee discovered a clerical error in the budget that did not factor in summer position funding, which added $4,725 to the budget, requiring them to cut more from the rest of the total budget to accommodate the change. After all the amendments and cuts, the committee reduced the WBSU budget to below the previous fiscal year amount. The budget was then approved with a 7-0 vote, with two abstentions.
Sex Out Loud asked the committee for a wage exemption as they went up to 27 hours a week, due to a leadership change and an upcoming event. Rep. Reed Lokken spoke in favor of approving the wage exemption as it seems to be an isolated incident due to unforeseen circumstances. The wage exemption was approved in a 8-0 vote, with one abstention.
RecWell Representative Daniel Gutierrez is resigning from his position on SSFC and the position will be up for nomination soon, according to Chair Quinn Wakely.
SSFC heard feedback from members about the RecWell and UHS program, who the committee is meeting with to discuss recommendations for their budgets.
Lokken recommended adding one-day guest passes to the RecWell membership students receive as attendees of the university.
The next SSFC meeting will be Thursday, Nov. 9.
