Student Services Finance Committee met Monday to debate a resolution proposed in response to Gov. Scott Walker’s budget.
SSFC voted to suspend debate on the resolution presented by Chair Colin Barushok, Vice Chair David Morel, and representatives Kyle Watter and Jordanna Jast. The resolution commends Walker for actions taken in his most recent budget proposal.
Walker’s most recent budget proposal would cut tuition for undergraduate residents by 5 percent and increase General Purpose Revenue by $35 million to pay for the tuition cut.
Before indefinitely suspending debate, SSFC voted to amend the resolution to include that SSFC does not approve of the proposed opt-out option of allocable portion of segregated fees.
Rep. Zaakir Abdul-Wahid believed the resolution did not adequately address Walker’s proposed budget or the ways in which the budget will affect SSFC.
“I’m not sure why as the student service finance committee, in which we govern allocable fees, we are talking about Scott Walker in context that are not relevant to student allocable fees,” Abdul-Wahid said. “So I feel like the elephant in the room in this situation is the opt-out option and I think that by talking about other things that are not necessarily related to us is unnecessary and i think that it distracts from the true purpose.”
The proposed tuition cut will only affect in-state students, meaning out-of-state students will most likely face a tuition increase, according to Abdul-Wahid.
“That’s not something that I am comfortable backing, I am an in-state student, and I think that the 5 percent reduction is a good thing but for out-of-state students or international students who have been seeing increases year after year we also represent them,” Abdul-Wahid said.“I think that it’s a little bit dangerous for us to start playing in the political scene right now if it’s not really really relevant.”
According to Morel, the budget proposal will have a direct impact on segregated fees.
“As far as the complaint that this doesn’t have anything to do with segregated fees I disagree, frankly I think that this does have a lot to do with segregated fees the budget proposal directly concerns that, so I definitely think that this is relevant and within our charge,” Morel stated.
