As a result of the University of Wisconsin-Madison student government’s new interpretation of old funding criteria, the Jewish Cultural Collective (JCC) will have a severely abbreviated schedule of programming in the 2008-09 school year.
The Chronicle reported on March 21 that the JCC was deemed ineligible to receive General Student Services Funds (GSSF) by the Student Services Finance Committee (SSFC). This committee is the financial arm of Associated Students of Madison (ASM), the school’s student government.
The decision surprised JCC leaders because it was the first time JCC had been denied eligibility, and the criteria for acceptance had not changed.
JCC chair Brandon Perlow surmised at the time that the reason for the denial was the new makeup of the SSFC, which had interpreted the wording of the GSSF’s Financial Manual differently than in years past.
The JCC is the largest and most active Jewish student group on the Madison campus. It and a number of other registered student organizations (RSOs) voiced displeasure with the new interpretations of the rules and with the SSFC’s not explaining the rejections.
At that time (mid-March), the JCC already had its appeal of the SSFC’s decision denied; but the group was attempting to schedule a meeting with outgoing UW chancellor John D. Wiley. The chancellor receives the GSSF budget and submits it to the UW system board of regents.
In a telephone interview with The Chronicle last week, Perlow, who will be a senior this fall, stated that calls to the chancellor were not returned.
So as the JCC heads into the new school year, it is ranking its interests and figuring out how it will operate without the GSSF funds, which accounted for 100 percent of its $158,219 budget last year.
Due to its lack of a budget, the JCC is behind in appointing officers for the coming school year. Unlike student groups that elect their officers, the JCC takes applications, conducts interviews and hires the most qualified candidate.
Officers such as Perlow, or any officer of a GSSF-funded RSO, are paid the standard GSSF wage, which was $9.19/hr last semester, said Perlow.
Because the JCC does not know whether its positions will be paid or volunteer, it has had difficulty finding candidates. Besides Perlow, the only positions filled are the director of the Jewish Theater Project and the head of the Jewish Film Challenge.
“We will be trying to ask for volunteers internally in the next month or two. However usually by this time we have our staff already set for the upcoming year,” said Perlow. He added that vacant positions include financial manager, major events coordinator, artists showcase series director and vice chair.
The JCC obtained some donations from individual donors. It will use those funds to stage a play (usually at the Play Circle Theater in the Memorial Union) as a part of the Jewish Theater Project.
The play is scheduled for the fall semester. The theater project produces one play per semester, but there is uncertainty as to whether there will be a production during the spring semester.
Normally the JCC organizes a major events series that includes a Jewish film festival. It also brings in speakers like television talk show host Jerry Springer and prize-winning screenwriter/playwright/author Tony Kushner.
This year, instead of hosting the usual four events per semester, there may be only one or two, said Perlow.
The film festival consisted of two feature film screenings per night for six nights in past years. This year that will not be possible, said Perlow.
Perlow also mentioned that the JCC might have to scrap its JCC Coffeehouse series, which provided musicians, poets and spoken word artists the opportunity display their talents at local bars and lounges.
“That’s really a shame because they were pretty successful. We were able to bring out 40-50 students on any given one of those nights,” Perlow said.
The Voice, a magazine of Jewish culture and thought published by the JCC towards the end of each semester, will still be produced, but there will be a fee for advertisers for the first time.
Perlow said the JCC has an application pending for a grant from Hillel International and it will be applying for ASM grants and seeking more private donations.
GSSF funding status is determined one year in advance. Perlow stated that the JCC will apply for GSSF funding for the 2009-10 school year at the beginning of the fall semester.
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