Members of student government reflected on the past semester and planned future relations with student fee-funded groups in a meeting Monday in which a student organization’s budget was also altered and finalized.
Student Services Finance Committee members were praised for creating a welcoming environment during the meeting’s open forum.
Wisconsin Student Public Interest Research Group chair Matt Kozlowski commended the committee on extending itself to benefit student organizations this semester.
“With this year, I do see a lot more reaching out to groups and SSFC being a resource to groups,” Kozlowski said.
This coincided with comments made by Campus Women’s Center members following last week’s SSFC meeting covering the organization’s budget.
According to Rep. Tia Nowack, CWC members made comments recognizing the positive atmosphere this year’s committee put forth.
SSFC Chair Sarah Neibart also quoted a CWC member as saying that the current SSFC has a “very different climate” than had been experienced in previous years.
Keeping in line with this trend of working with student organizations in a positive manner, Neibart said that following winter break, SSFC and GSSF groups will be hosting a power and privilege programming session to improve relations between the entities.
Rep. Tito Diaz said the session would be a way to improve communication.
“We would like to better the relationship between SSFC and GSSF groups,” Diaz said. “We need to figure out how best to communicate with GSSF groups.”
Nowack, who has been working with Neibart and Diaz on the project, said that communication between SSFC and GSSF groups has been strained in the past. This, she said, may be partially attributed to how past committees interacted with these organizations.
Neibart added that prior to the power and privilege programming session, SSFC will schedule a debriefing for the committee to review its own performance during the fall semester and discuss areas for improvement.
A date for the power and privilege programming session has yet to be determined, Neibart said, but it will be open to any GSSF groups interested in participating.
The full content of the session must also be decided, Neibart said.
“We will be talking about power and privilege and having an open dialogue with GSSF groups,” Neibart said.
Last night’s meeting also included the finalization of a modified budget for the student organization Adventure Learning Programs.
Modifications included striking one cent from each hourly wage for ALPs staff, lowering the staff’s salary to $100,619.97.
Additionally, the low ropes division of ALPs will be receiving an extra $200 to their transportation budget, with the high ropes division receiving $250 for transportation purposes. These allowances will be used to convey ALPs staff to and from group-sponsored workshops.
According to ALPs members Abby Dare and Sam Rotter, the organization puts on, on average, 70 workshops throughout the year.
The facilities used for these workshops are an approximately 10-minute drive from campus and therefore a lengthy bike ride for some, Rotter said. This, he said, necessitates transportation funds to supplement the group’s current practice in which group members provide their own personal vehicles for transport.
The ALPS finalized budget was decided at $151,005.65.
