The Madison Campus Women's Center applied for eligibility to receive funding from the Student Services Finance Committee for the 2011-'12 fiscal year Monday.
According to its website, the CWC tackles problems facing women by ""celebrating and affirming"" their power to create social change by offering support services, educating the campus community on gender-based issues, and serving as a resource and referral center for all interested students.
In 2009, SSFC denied the group funding. SSFC Chair Matt Manes cited inadequate record of sufficient direct services.
According to Manes, the CWC did not provide evidence of enough student direct services.
After taking its case to the Student Judiciary and making multiple appeals to the SSFC, the CWC was forced to accept the committee's decision.
In the coming months, CWC members face the challenge of financing the 2010-'11 program and operations costs, as well as the reapplication process for future funding.
""It's going to be really, really tight in terms of finances this year,"" said CWC program coordinator Rae Lymer, CWC program.
According to Lymer, the center is going to be dependent on a combination of grants and co-sponsorships to finance the 2010-'11 school year to cover the cost of rent, basic printing and supplies.
The CWC is seeking additional grants and co-sponsors such as PAVE to cover event costs.
Lymer and CWC publicity coordinator Nathalie Cheng agreed that Women in Redzine, the CWC's multicultural women's magazine, would suffer the most, due to its high printing cost.
CWC members already have their eyes on funding for the 2011-'12 school year.
Lymer expressed her desire to make this year's application process as easy as possible, without having to ""go through all the different hoops [they] did last year"" by keeping better records and working collectively.
In past years, Cheng said, the finance coordinator was in charge of the eligibility application. This year, the job will be split among all eight CWC coordinators.
""We've really made an effort to make the entire collective responsible for getting this application done, because the funding is supposed to support all of our positions,"" Cheng said.
With these changes in place, members' outlook for 2011-12 SSFC funding seems positive.
""I don't feel that there's any benefit out of holding grudges, because that would hurt both sides,"" said Cheng. ""I feel like if we really, really just start afresh and just keep fighting, then good things will happen.""
Last Friday the CWC submitted its budget application to the SSFC. The group applied to the finance committee for 2011-12 funding eligibility Monday.
Representing CWC, Lymer and Cheng spoke at Monday's meeting about the group's provision of resources and services, emphasizing their availability and versatility to all students regardless of gender.
""[The] SSFC kept us on our toes, but overall, I think the hearing went smoothly,"" Cheng said. ""There is still more work to be done. We're optimistic, but nothing is set yet.""
Following the hearing, Lymer said she was optimistic, but hoped that the SSFC would not underestimate the strength of the CWC's family resource component as it factored into the direct services total.
""Those of us at the CWC are so passionate about the service we provide,"" Lymer said. ""We won't let it fall by the wayside.""
As SSFC Chair Manes he is unable to comment on the potential outcome.
The committee also heard the F.H. King student farm's eligibility application, and announced their decision to allocate student segregated fees to fund the Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlan and Working Class Student Union.
