Committee proposes fee hike

The Joint Finance Committee of the SGA has recommended a $15 increase to the Student Activity Fee (SAF) in response to increased funding requests. These requests come primarily from the Campus Recreation Center and the Student Center. The SAF currently stands at $98per semester.

According to a JFC report, " Without an SAF increase, the combined effect of increased costs in Tier 1 and Tier 2 organizations would significantly diminish the funds available to Tier 3 organizations and Student Government operating account. "

Additionally, the report also stated that without a fee increase, the Tech-Rec area of the Student Center would " most likely have to be shut down. "

If approved by the Board of Regents, the fee increase would also maintain last year ' s levels of funding for the cultural, sports and academic clubs collectively known as Tier 3 organizations.

Of the total $15 increase, two-thirds is dedicated to increased staffing demands from the facility expansions of the CRC and Student Center.

Additionally, 13 percent of the increase will go toward improving " risk management, " and seven percent of the increase will fund an expansion of CRC ' s operating hours.

Other earmarked funds from the fee increase would subsidize the operation of Tech-Rec and fund state-mandated fee increases for administrative staff serving student organizations.

Current SGA funding policies require that Tier 1 organizations (which the CRC and Student Center are) receive the highest priority in student activity fee allocations.

However, despite this requirement, student government officials say that they have attempted to minimize Tier 1 funding requests.

" Tier 1 has to receive a priority . We have trimmed all the fat out of their budgets, " said David Andersen, JFC chair.

" The budget that the CRC sent to us was significantly lower than the one that they initially sent to SGA, " he added.

SGA officials are adamant that the fee increases are essential to maintaining the current level of student life.

" Since [the] CRC ' s expansion, the numbers alone have shown the increased usage and crowding of the facility . I know several students have commented on wanting to use the facility more and expanding its hours, " said Amy Phuong, undergraduate student body president.

" I know we have worked closely with [CRC director] Mike Edwards . to ensure that the fee increase will be efficiently maximized and spent to best meet the majority of students, " she added.

Kasi David, graduate student body president, said that increasing funding to the CRC was necessary to maintain the quality of graduate student life.

" When we got the numbers from the CRC, in terms of the big increase of numbers of people coming into it, and particularly from the graduate student perspective, " he said. " It made it easier to support the decisions of the fee increase, because we realized how vital of a service it is. "

" Most of the things that this fee is going to fund is education outside the classroom . It is regrettable that we have to increase it, but it is also a necessary increase to make sure that students have the type of experience that makes them well-rounded, " David added.

Student government officials have stressed that the goal of the fee increase is to fund the Student Center and CRC, and not to increase the total amount of funding to Tier 3 organizations.

" Even with the increased number of budgets, the budget for the entire Tier 3 is not increased . Therefore, we have stressed fundraising efforts and utilizing resources, " Phuong said.

A fee increase is not guaranteed. The Board of Regents could choose to approve a smaller increase, or they could reject any increase.

Should either of those outcomes happen, SGA officers predict negative consequences for student organizations. The JFC report listed sport clubs, hobby groups, cultural and diversity organizations, community service projects, leadership conferences and student life programs as groups that could receive decreased SGA funding.

There are some members of SGA who feel that there were other avenues to cut excess funding from this year ' s budget.

Math representative Stephanie Bent said, " I am disappointed that the stipend issue has not been investigated . Each organization - Technique, SGA and Student Center Programs Council - chooses how much they think their officers deserve and I fear that some people are being under-compensated and some overcompensated. "

David, however, said the level of funding for stipends plays a minimal role in the budget increases.

" I do agree that we possibly should take a closer look at stipends, and make them more consistent, and there is always room for improving the system across the board, " he said. " I wouldn ' t say that stipends are a large part of the fee increase. "

Phuong also cited experiences last year that precluded discussions of the stipends for this years ' budget.

" Last year ' s SGA [executive officers] began looking into the stipend issue, and it got a very negative response from student organizations who were either directly or indirectly affected . The general consensus from last year was to back off from the stipend issue until we did more research, " she said.

Once finalized, the undergraduate and graduate presidents will submit the proposed budget and fee increase to their student councils for approval. SGA executive officers said they are confident that students will support their efforts.

" Whether they are involved in a campus organization or not, we feel that the overwhelming response that we have received warrants a $15 fee increase, " Andersen said.