The University of Wisconsin-Madison Associated Students of Madison Coordinating Council approved a funding request at a meeting Wednesday, which would increase the yearly salaries of two ASM staff members.
Joanna Gurstelle, the assistant dean and director of the Division of Student Life, spoke to the $1,000 salary increase of the ASM Financial Specialist and the $1,200 salary increase of the ASM Government Relations Advisor.
Because ASM Staff are employees of the university, ASM committee members do not have direct control over faculty members that receive the student segregated fees. Gurstelle reached out to Coordinating Council members to see if they would be comfortable allocating the requested amount of money to staff members they did not have authority over employing or managing.
“While you guys control the budgets of the employees and whether or not segregated fees will fund their salary lines, you do not have control over personnel policies that all the employees need to follow,” Gurstelle said.
The increase would be effective Jan. 1, meaning only half of each proposed salary alteration would be allocated for this fiscal year.
Committee members approved the salary increases and said they will look next year to make a change in the internal budget.
The committee also approved an event grant proposal from the Delta Sigma Theta sorority for $7,500.
The sorority requested the money for its Delta Apollo Black Girl’s Rock event. Since the grant proposal exceeded $4,500, it had to be reviewed by the ASM committee.
Though approved by Coordinating Council, the grant request will need to be ratified by Student Council at its next meeting.
Committee members also reflected on the past semester. ASM Chair David Gardner urged members to think about how both committees and ASM could improve and grow in the upcoming semester.
Coordinating Council will hold its next meeting at the start of the spring semester.
