Following months of debate, student council deemed the Multicultural Student Coalition eligible for funding Wednesday.
Council’s vote resulted in a tie, which Associated Students of Madison Chair Allie Gardner broke, ruling in favor of MCSC.
Whether MCSC had intentionally violated the university’s contracting policy and spent more than half its time directly serving students were hot points of debate during the meeting.
The Student Services Finance Committee ruled Monday the group intentionally sidestepped proper procedures to contract an alumni trainer without proper approval.
But MCSC members said the violations were a result of miscommunication.
Gardner said the policy violations were the fault of both ASM staff and MCSC and deeming the violation intentional would not be appropriate.
“I believe that both parties were represented, and a miscommunication between both parties resulted in the decision,” Gardner said.
Gardner also said that according to her knowledge of MCSC’s services, 57.5 percent of the group’s services directly served the student body and were unlike any other services offered on campus.
“Their peer-to-peer involvement can not be replicated by anything on this university,” Gardner said.
SSFC Chair Sarah Neibart opposed Gardner’s decision, saying the group did not spend more than half its time directly serving students.
Neibart added that MCSC had violated ASM policy intentionally, saying ASM staff had informed group members of the trainer contract and policies surrounding it.
“I think [MCSC is] smart enough that this must have been intentional,” Rep. Cale Plamann said. “I think with everything they have said that this must have been intentional.”
Neibart said some student council members violated viewpoint neutrality when making their decisions. She also said she plans to appeal Gardner’s final vote to the student judiciary.
