The NC State Student Senate voted on fee increase recommendations at its biweekly meeting on Wednesday in Talley Student Union. These recommendations will be presented to the Student Fee Review committee at their upcoming meeting.
SR 33, the Recreational Sports Act, carried a recommended increase of $1.50. There was no debate on the bill, and it was passed with a vote of 49-6-2.
The Student Center Operations Fee Act was looking for $5 increase to undergraduate student fees and $3.50 increase to graduate students. Senate President Pro Tempore Adam Schmidt, a second-year studying civil engineering, put in an amendment to the bill.
“I would just like to say my opposition to a different increase in fees to graduate and undergraduate students based on usage of the facility,” Schmidt said.
The amendment passed to change the fees to be equal between graduate and undergraduate students, and the the bill was passed with a 41-7-8 to increase fees for all students by $5.
SR 35, the Student Center Programming Act, sought a $7.25 increase. There was no debate and the bill was passed by a 50-0-3 vote.
SR 36, the Student Center Repairs and Renovations Fee Act, called for a $2 increase in order to repair and renovate old buildings. It was passed by a vote of 53-2-0.
SR 38, the Student Health Service Fee Act, had an original recommendation of a $15 increase to the fee, but the committee on Tuition and Fees decided to move it down to $10 increase.
“I think Student Health is really good,” Schmidt said. “As they are discovering new ways to help us, I think they need the full $15.”
Sen. Schmidt put in an amendment to increase the bill to the full $15.
Representatives from Student Health said that an $8 increase is the minimum to sustain operations, and when asked the difference between the $10 and $15 increase, said it would go toward adding extra counselors to help students on an individual basis.
“As mental health becomes less stigmatized, more people are open to getting help, and I think it’s important that we give Student Health the resources they need,” Schmidt said.
The amendment to move the fee increase from $10 to $15 was passed by a vote of 32-24-0, however the bill failed to pass.
After the bill was not passed, a vote to reconsider the bill was called for, which passed.
“We have no formal recommendation, so we are doing a disservice to the students,” said Sen. Coleman Simpson, a third-year studying agricultural education and political science, before writing an amendment to increase the fee by $12.50 as a compromise.
The amendment and amended bill were passed with a vote of 44-11-0.
SR 39, the Student Publications/Media Fees Act, called for a 25 cents fee increase. After a little debate about the revenue of student media, the bill was passed with a vote of 51-1-3. Sen. Jordan Bischoff, a third-year studying microbiology and biotechnology, cast the lone “no” vote.
The UAB Fee act was calling for no increase to fees for UAB, with the committee on Tuition and Fees stating that the organization has enough on reserve to sustain themselves for the year. It was passed with a vote of 35-14-6
Two weeks after the original bill failed, SR 49, the Transit Operations Fee Increase Act, was debated once again by the Senate, now calling for a $8 fee increase. NCSU Transportation originally called for $12, but that bill failed at the Sept. 13 Senate meeting. The committee on Tuition and Fees lowered the recommendation to an $8 fee increase as a compromise.
“Politics is the art of compromise, this is a good compromise,” said Sen. Sean Harrington, a fourth-year studying political science. “Everyone vote for this.”
The bill passed with a vote of 50-0-2.
Sean Harrington, a fourth-year studying political science, discusses the senate referendum that increases Student Health Services's budget for the 2018-2019 school year. Student senators and members voted on fee increases in the Student Senate Chamber on Wednesday, Sept. 27.
