The Student Services Finance Committee of the Associated Students of Madison approved the first student organization budgets for this year Monday night.
The committee set the Adventure Learning Programs' budget at $54,090 after the group originally requested $100,362. The Greater University Tutorial Service will receive its request of $88,053.
Last year, SSFC granted ALPs funding to hire a student service specialist for this school year. A specialist is a person with a master's degree employed full-time by the organization. When considering the group's budget this year, SSFC Representative Tom Clark, a UW-Madison graduate student, raised issue with the need for such a position.
\It just wasn't an efficient use of money,"" he said. ""I hope we're not doing a disservice to this group [but] I couldn't see every single student group having their own full-time staff.""
With this in mind, Clark proposed an amendment eliminating this new position.
Fellow SSFC Representative Faith Kurtyka, a UW-Madison junior, disagreed with Clark's stance.
""I don't feel like I've heard a good enough argument that there shouldn't be a salaried position,"" she said.
However, in a vote of 6-5, the amendment was approved.
Clark made a subsequent amendment to reduce ALPs' program supplies funding since it had been directed toward the specialist. This passed unanimously.
SSFC Representative Aaron Werner, a UW-Madison junior, proposed an amendment adding a third coordinator position to the group's staff, an amendment which passed unanimously.
""If you're going to cut a specialist, there should be a replacement on some grounds,"" he said.
Kurtyka said she was pleased the committee added the additional coordinator.
""I felt [the specialist] was necessary to the functioning of the organization but I'm pleased to see we added a coordinator position to compensate for some of the loss,"" she said.
GUTS' budget was approved with little debate.
SSFC member Mark Baumgardner, a UW-Madison senior, participated in the meeting despite a ruling last week by the ASM Student Judiciary that he be removed from the committee. This is due to an injunction in the case Monday by the judiciary after Baumgardner notified the judiciary of his intent to appeal. They granted preliminary relief pending his appeal.
