2008 Woodie Awards
Fee increase now reality
A brief history of the student fee increase
John C. Osborn
Issue date: 8/22/07 Section: Campus
- Page 1 of 1
The student fee increase proposed during the spring semester is now a reality. Chancellor Charles Reed approved the fee via e-mail to President Rollin Richmond on June 27.
The Instructionally Related Activities fee, which used to be $48 a semester, is now increased to $250. Funds from the increase go to athletics, a energy independence fund, free transit throughout the county and student organizations. Athletics is now student-driven, and money from the State can be diverted to other areas of campus.
The road to the fee increase was a rocky one.
News of the fee increase became public March 5, where Associated Students attacked various aspects of the increase, including Richmond's approach.
Richmond's doubt of direct democracy led to his decision not to hold a student vote on the increase.
According to CSU Executive Order 740, "alternative consultation" could replace a student vote on a fee proposal. The alternative involved two meetings last semester with eight students to speak for the campus.
In those meetings, students wanted a vote to go before all students. The Student Fee Advisory Committee also wanted a student vote on the increase.
Despite Richmond's denial of a vote on March 9, Associated Students held a vote anyway in April during AS elections, where a record 31 percent of students (2,216) turned out - 81 percent opposed the increase.
During the summer, Richmond sent a memo to Reed asking for the fee increase. In the memo, he wanted authority to move funds around in the event enrollment increased.
"In an effort to accommodate the athletic budget to a specific allocation," Richmond said in the memo,
"I may need to redistribute the specific allocation of the total IRA fee from time to time."
Students weren't informed about this aspect of the fee increase, which is allowed under Executive Order 740.
The memo also failed to address student concern over the increase, including the results of the student vote in April. Paul Browning, spokesperson for the California State University system, couldn't comment on whether Reed knew about the vote results.
With the fee now in effect, the focus of student government is to make sure money from the fee goes to benefiting students.
Associated Students President Terra Rentz said that one of the council's goals this semester is to try and get student control over money going to athletics.
"Everyone is really pushing for shared governance," she said.
John C. Osborn can be reached at jco11@humboldt.edu
LINKS
2007/08 Budget Report from President Richmond
CSU Executive Order 740
Student Vote a no go, few celebrate decision - The Lumberjack
The Instructionally Related Activities fee, which used to be $48 a semester, is now increased to $250. Funds from the increase go to athletics, a energy independence fund, free transit throughout the county and student organizations. Athletics is now student-driven, and money from the State can be diverted to other areas of campus.
The road to the fee increase was a rocky one.
News of the fee increase became public March 5, where Associated Students attacked various aspects of the increase, including Richmond's approach.
Richmond's doubt of direct democracy led to his decision not to hold a student vote on the increase.
According to CSU Executive Order 740, "alternative consultation" could replace a student vote on a fee proposal. The alternative involved two meetings last semester with eight students to speak for the campus.
In those meetings, students wanted a vote to go before all students. The Student Fee Advisory Committee also wanted a student vote on the increase.
Despite Richmond's denial of a vote on March 9, Associated Students held a vote anyway in April during AS elections, where a record 31 percent of students (2,216) turned out - 81 percent opposed the increase.
During the summer, Richmond sent a memo to Reed asking for the fee increase. In the memo, he wanted authority to move funds around in the event enrollment increased.
"In an effort to accommodate the athletic budget to a specific allocation," Richmond said in the memo,
"I may need to redistribute the specific allocation of the total IRA fee from time to time."
Students weren't informed about this aspect of the fee increase, which is allowed under Executive Order 740.
The memo also failed to address student concern over the increase, including the results of the student vote in April. Paul Browning, spokesperson for the California State University system, couldn't comment on whether Reed knew about the vote results.
With the fee now in effect, the focus of student government is to make sure money from the fee goes to benefiting students.
Associated Students President Terra Rentz said that one of the council's goals this semester is to try and get student control over money going to athletics.
"Everyone is really pushing for shared governance," she said.
John C. Osborn can be reached at jco11@humboldt.edu
LINKS
2007/08 Budget Report from President Richmond
CSU Executive Order 740
Student Vote a no go, few celebrate decision - The Lumberjack
Be the first to comment on this story