The Associated Students of Madison Student Council heard the Recreational Sports Master Plan Wednesday for the last time before University of Wisconsin-Madison students vote on the referendum March 3-5.
Rec Sports Director John Horn said it was his 67th presentation of the Master Plan since the plan was re-opened in Spring 2013 to address the outdated recreational facilities on campus and the lack of space in them.
If the referendum is passed, students’ segregated fees to Rec Sports would not increase until 2016 when the first phase—redoing the west fields near the sport complex—is projected to be complete. Horn said student fees would increase as each facility is opened, and the total will not exceed $144.
Horn also said if the referendum is not passed, student fees would increase immediately because repairs are necessary. Students would be paying a minimum of $84, compared to the $36.78 students currently pay.
Rep. Erik Larson asked why the University of Wisconsin-Madison Athletic Department was only contributing 3 percent of the funding, while students were contributing 57 percent of the plan’s funds, to which Horn said the department accounts for only 1.5 percent of the facilities’ use.
“I’m happy that we’re getting some funding support from them, ” Horn said. “A couple years ago I’m not certain there’s a cent they would have given.”
Horn said Rec Sports already plans to accommodate students’ needs during renovation by providing space in Ogg residence hall’s main lounge, rooms in Gordon Commons and other areas on campus.
Students can find the details of the plan and other information about upcoming events on the Rec Sports Master Plan blog, according to Horn.
Student representatives from the Provost Search and Screen Committee also attended the meeting to discuss what the committee’s process has consisted of so far.
Graduate student Rep. Laura Dunek said there were over 50 applicants to fill current Provost Paul DeLuca’s position and the committee will be selecting the finalists in the next week.
Dunek, along with Undergraduate student Rep. Myla Rosenbloom, said shared governance is a priority of the committee and it is also looking for candidates who understand UW-Madison’s unique shared governance structure.
Dunek and Rosenbloom said they want to represent students’ voices and are looking for student input. They said they want to include students in the public forums that will be held for each finalist when they visit campus the weeks before and after spring break.
Several council members suggested making the public forums student-accessible by holding them on campus at a time that most students are out of classes.
Also in the meeting, Student Council Rep. Ryan Prestil announced the launch of another ASM Worst House campaign, which intends to shed light on the poor conditions of various Madison housing units.
Prestil said the contest is designed to draw attention to the “deteriorating condition of a lot of student housing.”
Prestil said the contest was conducted in the past, but this time focuses on the buildings students live in and not the landlords they rent through. Prestil said the contest also helps point out resources that tenants may be unaware of, including building inspections or the Tenant Resource Center.
During the meeting, Liz Cain was also appointed to the Recruitment and Retention Coordinator position.
