The Fee Review Committee will vote on 12 proposed fee increases to fund athletics, recreation, Student Health, student centers and several other programs.
As all students pay these fees, the committee must remember that any increase should affect as many students as possible and should not pay for unnecessary bureaucracy or redundant positions. The committee should take into account how students voted in the fee referendum when the committee votes Thursday.
These fees are of particular importance:
Recreational Sports FeeAny student can use the gym and participate in intramural sports. This fee needs to pass. Students already complain about the gym’s hours – if the gym can’t maintain current hours of operations with its current budget, this problem will get worse.
Carmichael Indebtedness FeeAgain, all students have access to Carmichael Gym, and everyone has access to the facilities this fee is meant for. If all students can benefit from the renovations, then all students can contribute.
Student Health Services FeeThere is no reason why this fee should not pass. Everyone gets sick, and everyone should be able to have access to the on-campus medical care. The Counseling Center also provides invaluable services to students who need help with personal issues. Every student needs this, and with medical costs rising, the committee must vote in favor of this increase.
Intercollegiate Athletics Indebtedness FeeThe Intercollegiate Athletics Indebtedness Fee is $66, and the proposal on the table is for a $30 increase. This money is going towards facilities like the Dail Basketball Center, the Weisiger-Brown Athletics Facility and Case Hall’s dining and academic assistance programs.
Average students can’t even access Case Hall or the Weisiger-Brown facility. So why are they paying for it?
For the most part, this only affects a fraction of students on campus. The committee should not approve this fee. All students should not have to pay for something that only a few students can access.
Student Centers Operations FeeThe Student Centers Operations fee is supposed to fund a number of programs and account for inflation. But some of these programs are redundancies students should not have to pay for.
Hiring an interpersonal violence advocate is what the Counseling Center is for.
Also, some of the increase is designated for hiring personnel for Thompson Theater when it re-opens. This should have been accounted for in the fundraising for the renovation.
On these votes, the Fee Review Committee should approve the recreational sports, Carmichael indebtedness and Student Health Services fees and guarantee that students only pay for the programs that benefit all students.
