Chair Matt Manes introduces SSFC

University of Wisconsin student organizations are gearing up to present their cases to receive funding from student dollars, which they will present before the student government in funding hearings next week.

Student Services Finance Committee Chair Matthew Manes said in an email to student groups he would not be entertaining requests to move funding from programs that were determined to be direct services into those that were not direct services last year.

Manes said the email was sent to groups who are already receiving funding to let them know he does not want groups to move leftover money from approved programs for use toward other events or trips.

He added it is about not letting the groups double dip with their funding.

SSFC will begin to hold eligibility hearings for groups to receive money from the General Student Service Funds starting Sept. 13, Manes said.

Last year SSFC awarded more than $1.4 million in GSSF to student groups, according to SSFC’s report to the Chancellor.

Manes said SSFC is taking a slightly different approach to the funding process this year. He said it is up to the groups to demonstrate they are eligible to the committee.

Manes added after the groups are eligible SSFC will work closely with them to craft the best budget possible.

There are two funding revenues that come out of Associated Students of Madison and student segregated fees: operations grants and general student services funds.

SSFC is in charge of distributing the GSSF money.

For a group to be eligible they must be a registered student organization with the university and meet certain criteria set up by SSFC bylaws.

The main requirement for groups to be eligible is to provide programs that are direct services to students, according to ASM bylaws.

A direct service must be available to all students and cannot be an individual event or series of events, Manes said.

Manes said the best example of a direct service, if they did not receive funding from other sources, would be University Health Services.

“UHS is the perfect example of what a direct service is. They are available to all students and provide direct benefits for them; if you are sick, you go in, and they try and heal you,” Manes said.

Another aspect of the funding process is SSFC members cannot let their own views and opinions affect their decisions to fund groups.

Manes said they must view all groups the same and fund them if they meet the requirements, even if they are “a group of skinheads.”

Current ASM Chair and former SSFC Chair Brandon Williams said it is critical they have viewpoint neutrality when funding groups, citing a United States Supreme Court case upholding this requirement.

During the 2000 U.S. Supreme Court case of Southworth v. University of Wisconsin Board of Regents, a UW student argued his student fees should not go to groups with which he did not agree.

The judges ruled students must pay fees to fund groups even if they do not agree with them as long as the funding was distributed in a neutral way, Williams said.

Williams added it is important to remember this does not mean all groups will automatically receive funding, but they all have to go through the same neutral process.