The Associated Students of Madison Student Services Finance Committee voted to approve a resolution asking the University of Wisconsin-Madison Athletic Department to fund a larger portion of the Recreational Sports Master Plan. SSFC also approved amendments funding criteria for registered student organizations.
SSFC Chair David Vines said now that students passed the Rec Sports referendum, ASM is doing what it can to make sure additional funding comes from outside donors and campus units, including UW Athletics.
“We think [UW] Athletics should make every effort to pitch in to help the students on this campus and lower their segregated-fee burden,” Vines said.
The committee voted 8 to 1 in support of the resolution, with one SSFC representative opposing because it could potentially damage the committee’s relationship with UW Athletics.
SSFC also discussed revisions to the General Student Services Fund eligibility criteria, which would clarify the types of programs registered student organizations need to provide to receive funding.
The new eligibility criteria reorganizes direct services into two categories. The first, core services, includes anything that is open to all students and provides educational value. Supportive services, the second category, includes a speaker or lecture series, conferences and other services that are not available to all UW-Madison students.
SSFC amended the core programming criteria to include experiential learning, which is learning through active engagement and participation.
“[Experiential learning] is tremendously engaging, and it is definitely outwardly focused,” Vines said. “It is something we should be encouraging.”
The committee also denied an amendment to exclude “occupational training” as an activity that provides educational benefit.
Vines said groups should facilitate the development of broad skills that could be applied to a variety of professions instead of training for specific jobs.
SSFC representatives voted to deny the amendment because the language was unclear and too restrictive. Vines said the committee may reconsider a similar amendment with more specific wording.
The committee also clarified language in the criteria indicating student organizations must demonstrate the services they provide are different than services provided by the university.
Vines said it was not easy to determine what activities are appropriate for GSSF funding, but he said he is happy with the revised criteria, which the committee will present to Student Council after spring break.
“I think we did an amazing job of covering the gaps and made it clear the things that would make it inappropriate to fund certain groups,” Vines said.
SSFC Vice Chair Ian Malmstadt said the new eligibility criteria are less restrictive and allow student groups more flexibility to provide their services.
“We just expanded it a lot so that groups can do what they want to do,” Malmstadt said. “This gives groups so much more ability to live out their missions.”
SSFC also voted to approve $4,227,900 Transportation Services budget with two minor modifications due to calculation errors.
