Although the Associated Students of Madison continued its ongoing battle against UW System policy Wednesday night by officially approving the budgets of all General Student Services Fund organizations, UW-Madison Chancellor John Wiley will most likely strike off-campus rents from the budget.
ASM Chair Dylan Rath said though he doubts Wiley will pass the budget, ASM intends to persist and will present its budget to Wiley March 13.
After student representatives began contesting the UW System policy that states no segregated fee funds can go toward paying rent for off-campus facilities, a group of organizations bound together to form the UW-Madison Student Rights Coalition, including Wisconsin Public Interest Research Group and the UW Roman Catholic Foundation.
""We're planning to go to the Board of Regents and advocate for the rent to be kept in for the off-campus organizations,"" Rath said. ""I think the policy should be changed at the Board, and we're going to fight all the way with the Student Rights Coalition.""
""I think we're going to bring student speakers and student support and show that it's not working the way it is with students based on this campus, and that there has to be a change,"" he added.
Wiley now faces the decision to either approve the budget or send it back to ASM before it moves to the Board of Regents in May.
But if the Student Rights Coalition persists in fighting for the off-campus rents, the UW System Board of Regents could hear its complaints around April 1, according to university spokesperson John Lucas.
UW-Madison Associate Dean of Students Kevin Helmkamp said the chancellor should be aware of UW policy, but he does not underestimate the strength of the student voice.
""I think the chancellor has to be very cognizant and aware of UW System policy in the decisions that he makes with that,"" Helmkamp said. ""I think it is a—particularly the specific provisions regarding off-campus rent—it's a very real issue on this campus, and I understand the students' desire to challenge UW System policy with that, but the chancellor's ability to [challenge UW System policy] is probably more limited than the students'.""
Rath said he hopes the Board of Regents will listen to the student voice.
""[Wiley] will have to be the one to reject the rent,"" Rath said. ""And it will also show the Board of Regents that this is what the students want and this is what students approved for their budget.""
