The Associated Students of Madison Student Services Finance Committee unanimously approved a $40,896.50 operating budget Thursday for Supporting Peers in Laidback Listening.
Commonly referred to as SPILL, the student-run campus group provides a confidential means of support for students looking for “feedback, empathy, and encouragement,” according to the organization's website.
While SSFC representatives discussed the potential of adjusting various SPILL member salaries in order to maintain consistency across position status, the group ultimately decided wage judgement in relation to responsibility load would be best decided by the members of the group who oversee the workers.
SPILL’s approved budget is a decrease from its 2013-’14 operating budget of $43,039.25.
Representatives from F.H. King also presented a proposed 2015-’16 budget for the sustainable-farming group.
F.H. King is a student organization that aims to teach students about sustainable agriculture through services such as student farming, rooftop gardening and various educational workshops, according to the group’s finance director Sunil Misra.
The organization is asking for a total budget of $70,884.31 for next year, which is about a $964 decrease from fiscal year 2014-'15.
The student farm is one of the most integral parts in achieving group success, according to Misra, as it allows students to get a hands-on experience with the agriculture field.
“That is really the centerpiece of our organization,” Misra said, adding that most of the other events work in conjunction with the farm. “It’s where students can actually come to get hands-on education on how to grow food, how to interact with the land and how to [learn] various sustainable techniques.”
F.H. King also engages through Harvest Handouts, where group members distribute produce weekly on campus for no charge.
Misra said last year F.H. King held over 60 events, harvested over 5,000 pounds of food and served more than 4,500 UW-Madison students.
SSFC is scheduled to make a decision on F. H. King’s budget Monday.
