The Student Services Finance Committee passed the Associated Students of Madison's internal budget of over 1.3 million dollars on Thursday, striking over $90,000 from the $100,000 ASM alumni training request.
SSFC Chair Sarah Neibart said $100,000 was too much money to go towards training.
"I think it comes to a point where 100,000 dollars is a lot of money to be spending and I don't think this was a well thought-out plan," Neibart said.
Rep. David Vines said additional money for training would be beneficial to ASM.
"We've shown that we need to be doing a slightly better job and I think it stems from a lack of information that can be improved significantly by alumni training," Vines said.
Neibart said bringing in alumni who served many years ago would not likely help the current ASM representatives because they are not familiar with the "current climate" in ASM.
In addition to being decreased, the committee also switched the funding from alumni training to general training, allowing the money to fund training from persons other than ASM alumni.
The committee also denied ASM's request to fund membership to the United States Student Association, a national student organization that advocates for student issues nationwide.
Rep. Justin Gerstner said he did not see the logic in becoming a member of the organization when UW-Madison already receives almost identical services through its membership in the United Council of UW Students.
"[This] has been thoroughly debated in student council and I have failed to see any direct reason why we should pay for this membership above and beyond a much cheaper membership through United Council," Gerstner said. "I just don't see the cost-benefit ratio for this service."
Rep. Tia Nowak said the committee should fund the membership because USSA works on federal issues that UC does not work on.
"There are larger student movements across the country that I think students at UW-Madison care about. I think USSA is a great avenue for us to [work on those issues]," Nowak said. "I think it is definitely our duty to be working on these things at every level, state and national."
