Thursday, October 19, 2006
SUUSA Fee Review - Tell Us Your Thoughts!
Over the past several years the portion of student fees controlled by the administration has steadily increased, while the portion of student fees controlled by student-elected officials has decreased. Simultaneously, various branches of student government have faced budget-shortages in the past several years. The SUUSA Student Fee Recommendation Committee has been established to review any possible correlation between these budget shortages and the amount of fees remaining under student-control, and make recommendations to the student fee review board.a) Re-allocation of funds within SUUSA Student Government.
b) Increased fiscal responsibility within each branch of SUUSA Student
c) Increasing the student-controlled portion of student fees by:i: Increasing the total amount of student fees, or
ii: Re-apportionment of student fees from administration control to student control.
Comments:
According to what I have heard back from students, many would be fine with a fee increase as long as our activities show improvement. Many also thought that it would be nice for activities to be free.
I hope this helps.
# posted by 
: 4:18 PM
$263.00 is paid in student fees by every full-time student. Examine first how this money is allocated and amongst what departments. Do your best to come to this forum informed.
Examine closely, if your able, a particular 106.50 allocation that goes towards "Building Fees." Supposedly to pay off a bond on the Sharwan Smith Building, or at least certain areas of it. Thats over 1.6 million a year going towards a building bond. How long have we been paying this? How long will we have to pay it? Why are we paying it when the students do not have control of the building? Why aren't other departments who take up occupancy in the building paying lease fees, or at least, why aren't all of them?
All the information in this regard is PUBLIC INFO and legally it is availble to anyone who wishes to view it. But getting them to give it to you despite the legal overhead is a whole other matter.
Ask questions, get informed, and let's take back the student fees. 1.6 million could do a lot for student activities. Imagine the activities budget going from $50,000 a semester to $500,000 a semester.
# posted by : 4:39 PM
Increase the Student Scholarship amount substantially, either by taking from branches that generally have surplus, or by raising student fees.
# posted by : 6:59 PM
I think the Building issue is definatly something worth looking in to. Question, even if we do get that information what do you think the posibility is to reduce the bond fee and bring it to the students through there activities. Also in the likely hood that they would not take our recemendation on that issue do you think it is posible to reclam the Sharwan for the students? I Know you probly don't know Caleb, But as some on who has been arownd the block, i would like to know what you think. Thanks again
# posted by : 7:53 AM
After the CPVA Open Forum, the overall idea of raising the Student Activities fee by an estimate of $20 was positivily received. It did not bother anyone to raise the price all at once. More students were concerned with WHERE their money was going and would like to see that made public. Giving a breakdown of which department and/or branch the fees are funding isn't enough; they want to make sure their money is going to fund they can benefit from. Not everyone has an opportunity to attend the activities put on by the University, especially in the CPVA when everyone is busy with a concert, play, recital, rehearsal, conference, seminars, etc. This is ONLY the overall opinion from the Open Forum held by the PVA Senators.
# posted by : 10:26 AM
I think that you need to remember that assembly helps the students just as much as any branch and that it isn't about assembly saying yes or no to every bill and being attacked for it, it is just the mere fact that there are more clubs that come to the assembly coming for money and I know that each delegate does a deep investigation for each bill. The point of the fee committee should be what is best for the students and how to help with the money problem. If you are to be the voice of the students then stop worrying about the money issue and worry more about the quality. Like a student body president once said that it wasn't about the quanity is was about the quality. Just be sure that you are doing what is right for everyone and I am opposed to changing the fees.
# posted by : 9:08 PM
As a married student here at SUU I think it is a stupd idea of raising fees. 3/4 if not more of the activities on campus gear only to single students. You must not realize the fact that some of us full time married students also have to work full time. For the past 2 1/2 years my husband and I have yet to go to one activity on campus because we do not feel invited to them. I feel that if you raise the fees that you better start making the activities married students friendly. Besides when you are married students and a dance is 5 dollars per person to get in we would have to pay 10. Do you think you are going to get very many married couples then?!? Just a suggestion!
# posted by : 11:01 AM
I think one important thing to consider when looking in to the Student Activities Fee is the fact that on our fee has not increased in the last 5 years where many of the Administration controlled fees have. The Activities Fee has actually decreased the last 5 years by 9.43%. These are student controlled fees that you have a say in through your elected representation, where as fees for things such as Service learning and Health Services that are controlled by the Administration have gone up.
I think what is often getting over looked in this issue is the fact of inflation. Many of the rises in student fees have been for that reason but the Activities fee has not been adjusted for this natural occurrence. Things such as food, entertainment, and general expenses have all increased for this reason yet our budget to supply these activities to the student body have not. To compensate this, the cost for students to addend the activities have had to increases.
I just want everyone to know we are not trying to just take your money here because any increases will have to be paid by us as well because we are also students. We are researching this extensively and no rash decisions will be made
# posted by : 9:54 AM
Yep, things cost twice as much when you're married. Congratulations, you figured that out! But wait, if we count a married couple as one person, then when free food is given out on campus, they get twice as much free food! Oh, the injustice! How could you guys abuse us single people like that. The question is are the activities going to be worth raising fees or just more lame comedians?
# posted by : 10:26 AM
If we actually stop complaining and come to a solution we could get a lot further. You don't gripe that $90 goes towards the student center, but you whine because of one comedian. If you have a solution then voice it, otherwise trust your elected and appointed student leaders to make the right decision.
# posted by : 12:27 PM
If we actually stop complaining and come to a solution we could get a lot further. You don't gripe that $90 goes towards the student center, but you whine because of one comedian. If you have a solution then voice it, otherwise trust your elected and appointed student leaders to make the right decision.
# posted by : 12:43 PM
My question from reading 'The University Journal' today -- if SUUSA's total budget is based on getting a certain amount per student on-campus and SUU's enrollment numbers are at the highest they have ever been -- where's the money gone? SUUSA retreats? Fancy nametags & T-shirts? SUUSA needs to account for where their budget has gone thus far this school year.
# posted by : 4:59 PM
Some of us are here for an education and could care less if the Welcome Week Dance cost $5 or was free. We don't want to have to pay anymore for student activities we don't attend anyways. Isn't that the point of college -- to walk out with a degree and an academic base to find a job?
# posted by : 5:01 PM
Hey Mr./Ms. Anonymous (the one who posted at 4:59),
That is an excellent question. The problem is that Student Government does not get their budget based on the number of students on campus (which is higher than ever before) but based on the number of students taking 15 credits or more per semester (which is lower than before). This is a horrible rule established by the State Board of Regents. This means that, although a student taking 12 credits is considered a full-time student by the University, student government does not get any of that student's fees. Where this money ends up (yep, people taking less than credits still pay their student fees) is still a mystery many of us are trying to resolve.
Simply put, there are more students on campus who can take part in activities and fewer students' fees coming back to the students to fund the activities.
I hope that explains the paradox of why enrollment is at an all time high, but Student Government budgets are smaller than before.
# posted by 
Shawn Ledingham : 9:31 PM
I honestly think those who do most of the activities should bare most of the cost, i.e. cover charge. I fee this is a tax on everyone for the few. The easiest way to spend money and not feel the pinch in the pocket book is to spend someone elses money. I think this tax increase on fee is jut that. My solution rely more on cover charge.
# posted by : 10:01 PM
Last year we ended with a total amout of 113 clubs, this year we have over 130 clubs and its not even the 2nd semester. the point is that the demand for the assembly to make sure that clubs become self sufficient is at a high. this means that with more clubs coming to the assembly looking for funds the more money that we need to support these clubs, thus explaining why budgets are low. our goal is to help make clubs become self sufficient and we are running out of funds to support these clubs. and these clubs pretain to the entire student body because there is a club out there for all of you.
# posted by : 9:35 AM
Increasing student fees is the most practical solution to our problem. If we just continue to move money around the branches, then we are not making any progress. The students I have talked to said they would not mind the student fee increase as long as they were informed where their money was going.
# posted by : 10:19 AM
I know it's a little late, but this came out on CNN.
http://www.cnn.com/2006/EDUCATION/10/24/college.costs.ap/index.html
# posted by : 2:38 PM
If the clubs need money to run, let the clubs raise the money on their own. Not every student has to support each club. Back in the day clubs use to do fundraisers, or go with cheeper stuff, membership dues, cover charge, etc. There are other ways to get funding, be creative. Stop spending other peoples money on someone else. Vote NO to a tax increase.
# posted by : 2:43 PM
Just so you know there will be no student activities fee raise. If the student fee goes up it wont be from our end.. You would have got all the information if you attended the open form.. thanks to you who did attend
Cidne Christensen
# posted by : 5:03 PM
In the 0ctober 30, 2006 edition of the University Journal there is an article titled "Counsel Requests Inflation Increase" written by Justine Pruitt. In this article it states "There has been a 14.5 percent inflation rate nationwide." said Shawn Leddingham, this statement was then backed up by statements by our SUUSA President Steve Kiisel "If you don't adjust any organization to account for inflation, that's how you can phase out an organization" Then the who’s who of the Student organizations agreed with those statements.
The reason for this letter is to inform you that there has been no such increase in inflation. For the past few years the inflation rate has been within the rate of 2-3 percent. Not since the early eighties has there been such an increase of 14.5 percent. I am writing to know:
1. If the statement in the article was just a typo,
2. If it was an outright lie to increase the SUUSA budget,
3. If the subject was just not researched.
The argument that there have been huge jumps in inflation is just not true. Costs of energy have gone up, but are going down at a very rapid rate; the cost of food has been growing just as everything else in the country at 2.1 percent according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (http://www.bls.gov/cpi/ on the right hand column of the page you can read the current inflation rates from last year). So what is the argument to raise our student fees? I do not know. Maybe the arguments presented by SUUSA should be better researched, or maybe better reported by the journal.
Sincerely,
Aaron C. Dahlin
# posted by Aaron D : 3:52 PM
The SUUSA fee review committee recommended NO fee increase. Much to our dismay, the SUUSA executive council requested a 3$ increase to match inflation.....why did we form a committee in the first place if the EC was just going to recommend something completely opposite????
# posted by : 10:11 PM
Here are my thoughts about raising student fees are as follows:
I think that STAB doesn't need to spend all that money on decorations. A few are okay but it is actually the people that make the party not the decorations.
I also don't think that our student fees should pay for non-students to come to our ativities. Especially when they get to pay the same price.
I think that the only reason why you should raise fees is if you are going to try to include the 65% of students who don't go to the activities that are already set in stone. Try something different. Obviously a big reason students don't want them raised is because they don't go to the activities... why? Because they don't appeal to them.Try something new....
And I have also talked to a lot of people and they aren't okay wil raising student fees...you need to let the students know about what is going on half the students don't read the journa,and some others have no idea what is going on. You can't expect to hear what the student body wants if you don't inform them about how to let you know how they feel. Besides if we really had something to say would you listen anyway?
# posted by : 7:39 PM
I can respect that the school would want to support certain areas of the school, but what about those places that get left out in the cold? I think it's kind of interesting the $48 of students fees go to athletics, while only $2 goes towards music. How is that fair? Those music majors are just as much students as is anyone else in this school. And don't get me wrong, I'm not picking on anyone in particular, but can't something be done to make allocation of student fees a little more fair? I wouldn't want to pay $48 to someone who only gives me $2 in return...
# posted by : 7:21 PM
please leave us your feedback!
# posted by : 1:12 PM