A structural change for student control in non-allocable budget decision processes could be on the horizon, Student Services Finance Committee Chair David Vines said at a committee meeting Monday.
Discussion for a shift stemmed from the Feb. 24 SSFC decision to freeze the Wisconsin Union’s 2014-’15 budget, due to the committee’s outlined belief that it did not have enough information to decide on a budget of its stature.
The Union’s budget, as well as the other non-allocable budgets such as Recreational Sports and University Health Services, are only seen by SSFC for review and recommendation, with final approval given by Chancellor Rebecca Blank.
SSFC representatives discussed that the process lacks student voices, with some members saying they feel as though students do not have any real say on the budget decisions.
“Whatever we have in the future, I want it to be more than just a recommendation,” Rep. Thuy Pham said. “I want students to have more contributions to the process of [non-allocable groups] making decisions on how they’re going to use student money.”
Rep. Callen Raveret said while he agrees there is room for adjustment in the current way budgets are decided upon, he is hesitant to give full control of the budgets to students, who may not be as capable to make large fiscal decisions.
While Vines said a shift to the system in which non-allocable budgets are viewed by students and decided upon is feasible, he added the change is not something that can happen immediately. The committee will express its thoughts on the process in a letter to the chancellor, and cite its feelings as the reason for freezing the budget.
SSFC also approved the 2014-’15 WSUM radio station budget of $339,711.72, with a vote of 5-0 and two abstentions.
