The University of Wisconsin Student Services Finance Committee met Thursday to hear the Wisconsin Unions’ budget proposal for the 2025 fiscal year and deliberated on UW Recreation and Wellbeing’s budget, which was heard on Dec. 4.
Associated Students of Madison Chair Kevin Jacobson spoke to the SSFC about student council matters and more. Jacobson said the Student Council has reversed the SSFC’s reduction in wage allocations for Grant Allocation Committee members, which required a 2/3 vote.
Jacobsen also recommended that the SSFC should add lines to the RecWell Budget and the University Health Services budget that add language from the Trans Umbrella Sanctuary Bill. Jacobsen also put forward the Grant Allocation Committee Chair Amaya Boman concerns for the SSFC to recommend the Union end taxation of student organizations reserving union space.
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ASM Equity and Inclusion Chair Emmet Lockwood also spoke at the open forum and elaborated on Jacobson’s recommendation to add Trans Sanctuary Legislation language to RecWell and University Health Services’ budgets. The recommendations are for RecWell not to use segregated fees to take negative and punitive action against trans umbrella students participating in athletics.
“We wanted to make sure that trans athletes such as myself and other athletes on this campus are protected in their ability to participate in our club sports,” Lockwood said.
Senior Associate Director & Chief Business Officer Ed Janairo and Wisconsin Union President Lily Chavez then presented the Wisconsin Union Student Segregated Fee budget for the 2025 fiscal year, which was $15 million.
Janairo said the Union is looking to centralize event planning, enhance the Registered Student Organization experience, develop a meal plan for students that are not in student housing, continue the meal exchange for students so they can use meal swipes at Union dining, add a mobile ordering service by next fall and re-envisioning Union South to increase the number of people that utilize the space.
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“We’re pursuing mobile ordering to aid students in circumventing lines …” Janairo said. “We’re always constantly trying to figure out what better ways to make sure that lines aren’t long.”
The state of Wisconsin approved a wage increase for Union of 2%, Janairo said. The total anticipated increase to cover those wages is $353,677 which will be covered within the Union with no increase to the Student Segregated Fees.
The Union also proposed a $3.88 increase in the Operating Budget Student Segregated Fee, totaling $169.24 per student for fiscal year 2025. But, the Union also proposed a $3.88 decrease Debt Service Segregated Fee, resulting in no change to the total amount charged to students.
The Director of the UW RecWell Aaron Hobson answered questions from the SSFC on the budget which was initially heard Monday. The SSFC moved to add text from the Trans Umbrella Sanctuary legislation passed by ASM to the RecWell budget.
“I want to be very clear, I will do everything in our power,” Hobson said. “We have been working with our state to provide information about how disruptive those kinds of legislations can be towards students. I will continue to be an advocate.”
The recommendation passed with eight approvals and one abstention.
A second amendment was presented and was approved with seven approvals and two abstentions to add a portion of the narrative submitted to the SSFC, to be dedicated to equipment usage and reporting.
The RecWell budget and recommendations as a whole passed with eight approvals and one abstention.
SSFC will meet again Dec 11 at 6 p.m. in the Student Activity Center.
Editor’s Note: This article was updated to correct information about the Wisconsin Union’s proposed Student Segregated Fee changes and budget.
