University of Wisconsin KnowledgeBase : Student Council starts internal budget discussions, passes legislation formally supporting creation of campus EMS program

 

Student Council starts internal budget discussions,
passes legislation formally supporting creation of campus EMS program

MADISON, WI — Student Council met last Wednesday night at the Student Activity Center to look over the ASM internal budget and to pass legislation supporting the creation of a student-ran campus EMS service.

The ASM internal budget, which includes staff salaries, food pantry funding, grant funding and more, was presented to the ASM Student Council by Chair Landis Varughese following approval from the Coordinating Council the week prior.

The Open Seat food pantry, which has seen an increase in demand, requested additional funding to support increased fleet usage, acquisition of equipment and more. Additionally, funding for an ASM Financial Manager, increases in the amount of funding available for travel grants and more were proposed, along with some reallocations. The total proposed was an increase of approximately 7.5%.

Student Council representatives then discussed various parts of the proposed budget. Meeting notes can be found here. These notes have not yet been formally approved, so changes could still be made.

Student Council then voted to approve the internal budget following adjustments. The proposal will now head to the Student Services Finance Committee, and then back to Student Council for final approval.

“It’s a really significant decision, which is why we have these conversations to determine what priorities we want,” said Varughese. “It’s important that we have as much engagement as possible.”

The council also voted overwhelmingly to approve legislation which sought ASM’s formal support for a student-ran campus EMS program. The legislation, which was introduced on Oct. 17, was previously tabled so representatives could review the longer proposal in-depth.

Additional legislation brought forward bylaw changes for the Student Activity Center Governing Board allocation procedure. The legislation proposed opening applications for space in the SAC at least two weeks prior to winter break, instead of by Nov. 1. Additional changes were made to criteria, such as amending “frequency of office use hours” to “demonstrated need for office utilization.” The legislation was passed.

The meeting concluded with reports and shared governance appointments.

The next Student Council meeting will be on Nov. 12 at 6:30 p.m.