The Madison Initiative Student Oversight Board met Monday night to discuss 20 proposals submitted by almost every college on campus, ranging from a new certificate in nanotechnology to a shared adviser note system.

The Madison Initiative is a differential tuition measure passed last year by the Board of Regents with the goal of providing need-based financial aid, additional faculty in key departments and the development of student academic services, such as advising. It will increase in-state tuition by $250 and out-of-state tuition by $750 per year over a four-year period.

The Oversight Board is comprised of students who want to make their voices heard on where their tuition dollars are spent.

“We definitely have to have a voice here,” UW senior and board member John Alfuth said. “[The board] involves, in a basic sense, a lot of money.”

The list of the submitted proposals was given to all members of the board at Monday’s meeting, and there will be a follow-up meeting Oct. 18 to determine which proposals should be made a priority.

“What we are going to do on Sunday is find proposals that we think should be funded immediately,” said ASM Chair Tyler Junger. “We’re looking for a student perspective.”

The method of evaluating the proposals was discussed in-depth at Monday’s meeting. Some of the criteria students include will be how innovative the proposal is, how well the proposal meets the needs of UW students and how well the proposal will enhance student life.

The Madison Initiative Student Oversight Board works in conjunction with the Madison Initiative Oversight Committee, which is comprised of UW faculty, staff and students.

The two groups will work together after Sunday’s meeting to determine the best options for the proposals. Chancellor Biddy Martin will have the final decision on how the funds will be allocated, but there is no question the opinion of the student board will have considerable clout.

When the proposals are finally agreed upon, effects will be felt as soon as the beginning of the second semester.

“Students who are seniors are paying for this, and we want them to see the benefits of it before they graduate,” said ASM Vice Chair Tom Templeton. “We’re the ones paying for it, we’re the ones affected by it.”

Junger said some of the goals of the Madison Initiative Student Oversight Board are to “make sure students are getting their money’s worth.”

Students involved on the board understand the impact their opinions will have on campus life in the near future.

“I want to decide how my money and my friends’ money is spent,” UW freshman and board member Alex Kowalsky said.

The chairs of the board acknowledged the student evaluation of the proposals comes at a busy time of the school year. The reading packet contains 20 proposals and is approximately 300 pages long.

“Hopefully, the proposals we’re recommending highly are something an average student will look at and say, ‘Hey, that’s going to help me,’” UW senior and board member Grant Smith said.