The UW-Madison Student Services Finance Committee held a meeting to discuss granting the Wisconsin Student Public Interest Group contract status to hire paid staff members Thursday at Memorial Union.
According to Chair Tony Uhl, WISPIRG is requesting contract status in order to hire staff members through the organization instead of through the university. Staff members would help give real world experience to WISPIRG members.
Uhl said paid staff would help connect WISPIRG members to the political system so the organization can be successful in speaking for the student body. Uhl emphasized staff hired through the university are required to voice the university opinion and not necessarily the opinion of the students.
Our staff is student voiced,"" Uhl said. ""Their voice technically belongs to us.""
According to members, WISPIRG is set apart from other student organizations because it is successful in presenting the student voice. Members said many other organizations on campus manage to educate students, but do not experience the success their organization can provide.
""Politicians don't pay attention to what students think and what we say,"" Uhl said. ""[WISPIRG] makes sure the politicians respond to student concerns.""
WISPIRG Treasurer Ashley Michael said having contract status enables the organization to share the costs of staff with other branches of WISPIRG throughout the state thus minimizing the group's costs.
""We make a dollar run a mile as opposed to a couple of feet,"" Uhl said.
WISPIRG proposed the budget assuming SSFC would approve their contract status.
SSFC Chair Kurt Gosselin said if the budget is not approved WISPIRG will need to revise and resubmit its budget to the committee.
WISPIRG is the only organization on campus to have had contract status, Michael said.
The first stage of the decision-making process for granting WISPIRG contract status will begin at the next SSFC meeting Oct. 6 in Memorial Union.
