2008 Woodie Awards
Debate over funding process continues despite revamping
Issue date: 4/20/06 Section: Opinion
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Editor's note: The following letter to UWT Chancellor Patricia Spakes is being published in the Ledger at the request of the Student Social Work Organization. The views expressed are not necessarily those of the Ledger staff.
Dear Chancellor Spakes,
We are writing as disgruntled students who pay tuition to a state-funded university and as most disheartened leaders of the UWT Student Social Work Organization (SSWO). In August of 2005, board members of the SSWO met and completed numerous proposals to request funds from the Services and Activities Fees Committee (SAFC) for events that we planned for the academic year of 2005-2006. As you know, there were a number of issues surrounding the ineffective functioning of the SAFC. The end result is that our organization received minimal funding from them, despite hours that the Chair, our advisor, and different members devoted to sitting in meetings where the SAFC conveniently tabled our proposals until some elusive date and time. Communication regarding future meetings was vague, and said meetings were often scheduled or cancelled at a moments notice, creating great inconvenience and hardship for organizations whose representatives wanted to attend to advocate for their proposals. In short, the funding process was far from transparent.
Some of our events were planned for fall quarter, which should have been a reasonable timeline given the fact that the proposals were prepared prior to the start of the academic year. Unfortunately, the ineffective functioning of the SAFC required the SSWO leadership to scramble for funding in a last ditch effort to augment the money organization members raised over the summer, just so we could hold our scheduled events. The Diversity Resource Center stepped in and funded one of our speakers, and Shellie Jo Enscoe from the Office of Student Life donated a gift card and assisted with food and other supplies. Their willing support allowed our fall speaking event to proceed as planned.
Dear Chancellor Spakes,
We are writing as disgruntled students who pay tuition to a state-funded university and as most disheartened leaders of the UWT Student Social Work Organization (SSWO). In August of 2005, board members of the SSWO met and completed numerous proposals to request funds from the Services and Activities Fees Committee (SAFC) for events that we planned for the academic year of 2005-2006. As you know, there were a number of issues surrounding the ineffective functioning of the SAFC. The end result is that our organization received minimal funding from them, despite hours that the Chair, our advisor, and different members devoted to sitting in meetings where the SAFC conveniently tabled our proposals until some elusive date and time. Communication regarding future meetings was vague, and said meetings were often scheduled or cancelled at a moments notice, creating great inconvenience and hardship for organizations whose representatives wanted to attend to advocate for their proposals. In short, the funding process was far from transparent.
Some of our events were planned for fall quarter, which should have been a reasonable timeline given the fact that the proposals were prepared prior to the start of the academic year. Unfortunately, the ineffective functioning of the SAFC required the SSWO leadership to scramble for funding in a last ditch effort to augment the money organization members raised over the summer, just so we could hold our scheduled events. The Diversity Resource Center stepped in and funded one of our speakers, and Shellie Jo Enscoe from the Office of Student Life donated a gift card and assisted with food and other supplies. Their willing support allowed our fall speaking event to proceed as planned.