The nation's largest religious student organization was precluded from university funding on Friday, provoking a potential lawsuit and allegations that UW-Madison officials sabotaged the UW Roman Catholic Foundation's application process.
Despite successfully fighting for university funding last spring, it will not receive funding or obtain Registered Student Organization status for the 2006-'07 academic year, UWRCF spokesperson Tim Kruse said Sunday.
The episode is the latest addendum to an ongoing funding controversy that last year pitted UW-Madison Chancellor Wiley against UWRCF. Wiley implied the organization violated the university's non-discriminatory policies, which prohibit organizations from requiring their members to have a specific religious orientation.
Wiley declared university-funded groups must be RSOs last spring, but granted the foundation an exception in April, allowing it to continue to receive funding even though it was not an RSO. Kruse said UWRCF immediately filled out an RSO application for the 2006-'07 academic year, and was the first group to submit, doing so on June 1.
Kruse said although the group applied for RSO status in June, it did not hear back until Friday. The Student Organization Office's website said the process usually takes three to four weeks.
An e-mail from Student Organization Office Director Yvonne Fangmeyer told him UWRCF needed to restructure to be more student focused, as only three of its 12 board members were students.
As of press time, Fangmeyer was not available for comment.
""While we're totally open to restructuring, we've already submitted our [funding] application,"" Kruse said, referring to the applications that student organizations desiring university funding must submit to the Associated Students of Madison Student Services Finance Committee.
SSFC applications do not allow for editing of any aspect of the organization and its policies after its Sept. 8 submission deadline.
""If we reorganize the way they want us to, we'll forfeit our application,"" Kruse said, saying the university intentionally waited to act on the RSO application until after the SSFC one was due because UW administration disagrees with funding religious organizations.
Kruse filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Justice against the Student Organization Office Friday, accusing it of religious discrimination.
""There is a set of rules, and we expect that to be registered and recognized—everyone has to follow the rules,"" said University Spokesperson John Lucas.
He also said the university does not discriminate against religious or political groups and several religious groups have already obtained RSO status, including The Crossing, Wisconsin Lutheran Student Group and Orthodox Christian Fellowship of Madison.
""We want to continue to work with them and figure out a way that their organization can exist on campus,"" Lucas said.
Fangmeyer wrote in the e-mail that she was missing information regarding UWRCF's member policies.
""In further determining if the Roman Catholic Foundation meets non-discrimination requirements of registered student organizations, I have not been able to review a constitution and by laws for the Roman Catholic Foundation, UW,"" Fangmeyer wrote. ""I have asked for a copy of the constitution and by laws and it was stated in a previous e-mail from you that a copy of the constitution and by laws would be provided. To date, I have not received a copy and, accordingly, have not been able to complete my assessment of this criterion.""
