University of Wisconsin-Madison
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Spring Farewell Issue 2018
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spring farewell 2018 CAMERON LANE-FLEHINGER/THE DAILY CARDINAL
Are SSFC’s rules a barrier for some students? The finance committee faced criticism from underrepresented groups over funding battles By Sonya Chechik and Nina Bertelsen STAFF WRITER AND NEWS MANAGER
Every year, a panel of 15 students allocates $51 million dollars to services around campus. Of that $51 million, more than $1.3 million is given to student organizations that are a part of the General Student Services Fund. This year, the Student Services Finance Committee, which allocates those funds, was criticized for not being accessible to all students. Specifically, some groups claimed some SSFC practices make it especially hard for underrepresented organizations to get funding. Groups argued that SSFC’s strict rules created barriers for underrepresented students’ organizations, which are typi-
cally smaller. Some groups said they found SSFC’s environment unwelcoming — one student leader went so far as to call the committee a “white, colonial space” and said parts of her budget meeting were “triggering.” When looking at the data, The Daily Cardinal found that the five underrepresented racial, ethnic and religious organizations that applied for GSSF funding had larger budget cuts on average than other groups. Eighteen student organizations requested funding for the next school year. In total, underrepresented groups received only 81 percent of the funds they requested, but majority groups received 97 percent of requested funds. However, most majority groups did receive budget cuts, compared to only
three of the five underrepresented groups — they were just much smaller than those taken by underrepresented groups. Additionally, SSFC was sued through the Student Judiciary by two separate multicultural student organizations who argued the body was not accessible. And a survey taken by GSSF groups showed that 50 percent did not think the eligibility hearing was a welcoming space. “Spaces that feel very safe to one group of people can feel very alienating to another,” said Pamela Oliver, a professor in sociology who specializes in collective action and social movements and racial disparities in criminal justice. According to Oliver, whiteness means being perceived
as the societal baseline, and it manifests in ways that inevitably benefit the majority. “If you’re part of the majority, the campus is easier for you,” Oliver said. “Depending on your subculture and the hierarchical relationships, even just how you talk to each other can be culturally fraught,” Oliver said. “You can feel like something’s a white space if people are just doing business in a way that’s not comfortable. It’s like a second language, only it’s a second culture. You have to try and warp your normal way of being into a way these people expect you to behave.” SSFC defended its processes by saying their strict policies allow the body to allocate funds without political or ideological influence.
“It’s a good way now because it does allow us to look at a set of criteria as opposed to looking at an organization’s mission,” said SSFC Chair Jordan Gaal. “I think that criteria has allowed us to empower both underrepresented groups and other organizations on campus.” Nearly two decades ago, three students sued UW-Madison, arguing it was unconstitutional for portions of their student fee to fund political or ideological activities with which they disagreed with. The case went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, and the 2000 Southworth v. The Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System ruling dicated a policy of viewpoint neutrality
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“…the great state University of Wisconsin should ever encourage that continual and fearless sifting and winnowing by which alone the truth can be found.”