Thursday, April 5, 2007
Student Senate passed $22.75 in student fee increases Wednesday night, bringing the total increases for the year to $54.75.
Senate passed six fee increases and one decrease.
Increases were approved to the Multicultural Resource Center fee, Student Health Services fee, Student Union fee, environmental services fee, summer readership fee and media fee. Senate approved a decrease of $1 for the student readership program.
Senate approved an increase of $1.75 to the Multicultural Resource Center fee. The increase gives $1.50 to fund a new full-time front desk position at the Sabatini Multicultural Center. The other 25 cents go to fund long-term maintenance for the center.
“It’s ridiculous to create a building without paying for someone to run it,” Jason Boots, Plano, Texas senior and Student Body president said.
The bill also gave the MRC control of next year’s Multicultural Education Fund.
pullquote
We’re doing the best we can to keep fees low, but we can’t make enough revenue to support increases.
- David Mucci, director of the Memorial Union
The Student Health Fee increased $13.25. The increase is the first since the 2003 fiscal year.
Student Health Services operated at a deficit for the 2006 fiscal year. Inflationary costs caused Health Services to dip into their reserve accounts.
No additional services will be added from the increase. The fee increase specifically allows Health Services to operate at their current level.
“The fee is about recovery, it’s positive for the health center,” Chris Foltz, Lenexa junior and chair of the Student Health Advisory Board, said.
The Student Union fee increased by $6. The last increase took place in the 2002 fiscal year.
The fee increase covers a jump in utility costs and half of custodial labor costs.
David Mucci, director of the Memorial Union, said that since the last fee increase, utilities have increased by $131,000 and custodial costs by $300,000.
”We’re doing the best we can to keep fees low, but we can’t make enough revenue to support increases,” Mucci said.
Beginning next year, the Health Services and Union fees will be re-evaluated yearly by a Senate review committee. The review allows for small yearly increases, rather than bulk increases, such as this year’s.
The Campus Environmental Improvement Fee increased $.75. The increase allows for the creation of a new, full-time position to manage bailing.
“An increase in recycling on campus created the need for the new position,” Studie Red Corn, Shawnee junior and First Nations Student Association senator.
The Student Media Fee increased $2. The increase comes about to better fund student media groups. The fee last increased in 1978.
Jarrod Morgenstern, Overland Park junior and Media Board member, said the board has had to divide funds into smaller portions to accommodate new media groups.
The increase will allow for the board to better fund groups such as KJHK.
Senate also passed a decrease of $1 per semester to the Student Readership Program.
The Student Readership Program provides free newspapers to campus. The program currently receives more money than needed to pay for the service.
The bill also created a fee for summer school students of $2 to fund the summer readership program.
“For the past two years excess money from the fee went to fund the summer readership program,” Boots said. “It just makes sense for the people using the program to pay for it.”
Earlier in the semester, the Senate approved a $31 in student fees. The fees increased were for the expanded wireless initiative of $5 per semester, a $20 increase to the Transportation fee to purchase newer buses and a $6 increase to the Student Recreation Services fee to meet inflationary needs.
Next week students will have the chance to voice their opinions during elections when voting on a referendum to fund SafeBus.
Kansan staff writer Ashlee Kieler can be contacted at akieler@kansan.com.
— Edited by Mark Vierthaler
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Comments
Student fees to increase
I just wonder how our school survived for the last century and a half before all of these extremely important services came about. I'm glad that the Student Senate is here to arbitrarily decide how our money can best be spent.
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