After debate continued over from Monday’s meeting, the student government allocated funds last night for a student organization if it does not find a space through the university.
Before moving into the budget decision, the Student Services Finance Committee discussed the rent line item on the Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztl?n’s budget, which requests $50,000 for renting space for the next fiscal year.
Currently, the organization is unsure of where it will take up office space next year, and CulturARTE Director Jeanette Martin said the group may need to move off campus if it does not find a space through the University of Wisconsin administration.
Last year, the group was evicted from its location above Brother’s Bar and Grill on University Avenue because the building is slated to be torn down, so the group moved temporarily to the Student Activity Center.
Martin said the SAC space does not work for the group as part of its direct service involves messy art projects and playing loud music.
SSFC Rep. David Vines said he thought the group needed to be ensured an acceptable space to perform its direct services.
“The fact of the matter is that they need a space to perform their direct services, and if we fail to give them funds, we’ll be doing a great disservice to them and be putting their eligibility for next year in jeopardy,” Vines said.
No SSFC members expressed disagreement with the rent item. In the final budget, the committee approved the rent funds with the caveat that if the group finds space through the university, the funds would be returned or no longer valid.
The finalized 2012-13 budget, which primarily included more funds for instruments and the rent item, allocated $159,534.12 to MEChA.
The committee then moved on to address the issue of contract status for UW student organizations before passing a contract resolution to be sent to Associated Students of Madison Student Council.
SSFC Rep. Justin Bloesch said he felt the intent of the resolution was to be relatively neutral and to generally express that council needed to get the ball moving in the area of contracting procedure for groups.
SSFC Vice Chair Chase Wilson, who presided as chair last night in the absence of Chair Sarah Neibart, said he felt the committee should be cautious of taking the viewpoint of Wisconsin Student Public Interest Research Group, which is currently waiting for a contract status process, as this might create a viewpoint neutrality violation.
Bloesch said he felt taking into account WISPIRG’s situation would not constitute a viewpoint neutrality violation in this case because the primary purpose of SSFC is to support what a group needs.
After more discussion, the committee passed the resolution to be sent to council.
During the meeting, the Legal Information Center presented its 2012-13 budget to the committee. SSFC will reach a decision on the budget on Monday.
