A student group is contesting its Student Activity Center space allocation, saying the size of their allotted office may stifle some of its art-based services.

Associated Students of Madison Student Judiciary ruled Monday for the Student Activity Center Governing Board to send a letter to El Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztl�n justifying the space they were allocated for the 2010-2011 academic year.

After MEChA receives the letter, which has not yet been drafted, they will be able to appeal to SACGB, according to the April 19 SJ order.

MEChA CulturArte Director Jeanette Martin said the organization will be appealing their space allocation upon receiving the letter from SACGB.

“We can’t do the work [in the space] we’re allocated,” Martin said.

The current MEChA space, located above Brothers Bar & Grill, has several rooms and a room for workshops. The space is used for activities such as painting, weaving, screen-printing and murals, which are a part of CulturArte, the organization’s art-based campus service.

The group has occupied the office since 1972 with all costs to occupy the space covered by UW. They were notified by UW to move out by August 15, 2010, as the building is scheduled to be knocked down to make way for a new music facility, leading to a need to apply for space at the SAC.

Martin said this date would have to be delayed. However, Dean of Students Lori Berquam said that date has already been pushed back to accommodate moving out over the summer.

With space allocations as they stand, MEChA will receive a large office space, which is 150 square feet. Before office assignments were redone by SACGB due to flaws in the allocation process, MEChA was allocated a 750-square-foot space.

Martin said Associate Dean Kevin Helmkamp gave the only notification of relocating and that was verbal. The organization is waiting for a written order from Berquam.

However, Berquam said she has been in talks with the organization multiple times over the course of several years. Berquam and a number of members from the Board of Regents walked MEChA through the SAC earlier this year.

She said MEChA is trying to “hedge their bet” by staying at their current space as long as they can. Other organizations, such as Wunk Sheek and Vets for Vets already moved out of MEChA’s current building and into the SAC.

MEChA was offered space in the Red Gym and denied it a number of years ago, Berquam said.

In response to MEChA’s situation, Student Council Representative Max Love crafted a piece of legislation for ASM that states there should be open and honest dialogues about where MEChA should be housed.

Love said fellow members of Student Council raised concerns the legislation was not viewpoint neutral. However, he said it is just to make council aware of the plight of one of the student organizations they fund.

MEChA will be hosting a kick-off for its CulturArte program this Friday, April 23. Martin said UW students are welcome to attend to experience what MEChA does on campus.