The Associated Students of Madison Student Council announced the first-ever budget cut for the organization ever at its meeting Thursday. The budget cuts include the decision to not fund another campus-wide party next year.
Also Thursday, Student Judiciary began a trial to determine how segregated fees will be distributed between two organizations planning to hold campus-wide parties this year.
After approving a bipartisan amendment to increase funds for travel and stipends, the council approved a final budget of $586,000, a cut of more than $80,000 from this year's budget. The 12 percent decrease includes cuts in the stipends of both the ASM chair and vice chair, as well as all committee chairs.
\This is the first time we've ever cut the budget,"" ASM Chair Mike Dean said. ""I wish we hadn't cut it as much, but we are still serving a lot of needs with [this budget].""
Though ASM currently plans on funding two all-campus celebrations this year, next year that will not be an option. The most substantial cut made to next year's budget was the elimination of the all-campus celebration, a cut of $40,000 from the proposal.
Attempts to fund a campus-wide party this year have been stalled as ASM Student Judiciary began hearing arguments in a case that debates which organization should be funded to organize the event.
The All Campus Celebration/Hip Hop Generation vs. Finance Committee trial began Thursday at the Memorial Union. UW-Madison student Ben Runkle lodged a complaint against the Finance Committee, arguing the committee misdirected fees allocated for the campus-wide party to a different group than was originally intended.
Both the Wisconsin Student Alumni Board and the Hip Hop Generation have separately put together plans to create a campus-wide party. Of the $45,000 designated for funding a campus-wide celebration, the Finance Committee allocated $30,000 to WSAB and $15,000 to the Hip Hop Generation, which is $5,000 more than the Hip Hop Generation had received last year.
Previously, Student Council passed a resolution declaring the ""Hip Hop Generation Conference ... to be the 2001 ASM All Campus Celebration."" ASM Student Council representatives also passed a resolution Thursday declaring that WSAB's proposal also be recognized as part of the 2001 ASM All Campus Celebration.
""It's not meant to attack anyone,"" Runkle said. ""It's meant to clarify the process.""
Jorgensen said he originally ""didn't want to touch this with a 10-foot pole"" because ""it looked like potential for a bad situation to occur because there were no guidelines.""
He said the Finance Committee would appreciate any recommendations for further clarifying the process. ""Finance certainly does not wish to abide by questionable protocol,"" he said.
Student Judiciary now has two weeks to issue a decision on whether the committee acted appropriately.
The council also passed a resolution to allow ASM to create shared governance committees, which would give the organization an opportunity to have full involvement in deciding the composition and function of a shared governance committee. These committees presently include both student and university faculty and staff, but are only formed by the Faculty Senate, University Administration or individual university departments.
""This resolution is asserting our right to create university committees, and students should have that right,"" ASM Rep. Adam Goldstein said.
Goldstein also said a proposal is currently in the works to have equal representation of students and university faculty and staff on shared governance committees.
Supporters of full membership with the United States Student Association saw a victory when the council approved paying $40,000 in membership fees next year. This will cost students 50 cents per semester in their tuition, consistent with this year. Those opposed to the budget included Rep. A.J. Hughes, who said joining the organization at the individual member level, $2,250 per year, would still allow for the same benefits and be more economical.
""I don't think ASM should be about giving charity to organizations that we like,"" he said. ""We can still have the support and benefits we want, and stop throwing charity.""
Dean addressed U.S. District Court Judge John Shabaz's recent ruling on the Kendra Fry vs. the Regents of the University of Wisconsin case by proposing to council certain changes to the present council by-laws. These changes, which include a more extensive appeals process for student organizations that applying for student funding and improved documentation and making criteria for decision-making more explicit, will be up for debate and suggestion from student groups Saturday. The UW System Board of Regents will make the final approval on any changes this Thursday.
ASM Rep. Harry Overly's resignation, which he previously announced, will be addressed in next week's meeting, after he submits a formal letter announcing his withdrawal from the organization.
