The Student Services Finance Committee voted Monday to adopt changes to its standing rules with an amendment that will limit the amount of money student organizations can request in funding.
The new rules will limit General Student Service Fund groups’ request to $100,000. This total does not include the maximum $75,000 organizations can request for professional staff and some graduate student positions. Prior to the meeting there were no caps in place to limit GSSF funding.
Among other restrictions, the new rules also place limits on how much organizations can spend on travel, events and student hourly positions.
Wisconsin Public Interest Research Board Chair Emily Ten Eyck spoke in open forum, asking SSFC to increase the $75,000 maximum for professional staff and project assistantships. Ten Eyck said the organization’s professional staff are “at the core of the work that we do.”
Greater University Tutoring Service Director Robin Matthies also spoke and requested the $60,000 maximum for student hourly positions be raised to $80,000. Matthies said the organization currently spends $90,000 to pay student employees.
SSFC members ultimately voted to increase the maximum amount for student hourly positions to $70,000.
SSFC Chair Ellie Bruecker said she was “incredibly happy” with the adjustments to the policy and believes they will prevent wasted funds.
“I think it’s going to encourage better budgeting,” Bruecker said. “It’s going to draw the focus of segregated fees to direct services rather than to events or to traveling.”
Members also proposed amendments to increase the maximum amount of money GSSFs could spend on travel and events but none were approved. Some members also proposed raising the $100,000 overall spending cap, while others called to eliminate it.
SSFC Rep. Ian Malmstadt said although he favored limits on individual categories, such as travel expenses, he trusts future SSFC members to make responsible decisions without a cap.
“What you’re doing ... is putting faith in a number,” Malmstadt said. “I like to put faith in the group of individuals that sit at this table.”
However, the funding cap passed at $100,000.
SSFC members also moved to postpone a vote on SSFC wage policy until Thursday, which proposes changes meant to increase accountability, including a requirement that GSSF employees submit short reports on the work they are paid for.
