Resolution 22
A RESOLUTION
TO BE ENTILED AN ACT TO RECOMMEND PROPOSED FEE INCREASES FOR THE 2010-2011
ACADEMIC YEAR
Short Title: 2010-2011 Fee Proposal
Recommendations Act
Sponsors: Senators Bloodworth,
Hayes, Brown
Secondary Sponsors: Senator Chen
Signatories:
Referred to:
Version:
First Reading: October 6th,
2009
Second Reading: October 6th,
2009
WHEREAS, all proposed fee increases to take effect beginning with
the 2010-2011 academic year have been presented and currently await recommendation
by the Fee Review Committee to the Chancellor; and,
WHEREAS, presentations have been made in support of each
proposed fee increase and are viewable online by the students, faculty, and
staff; and,
WHEREAS, 5,752 members of the student body voted on these
proposed fee increases in the October 5th, 2009 Fall Fee Referenda;
and,
WHEREAS, the Student Senate has chosen to evaluate the data
collected in the Fee Referenda based on the following three levels of criteria;
and,
WHEREAS, the
first level of that criteria is whether students see a need for increased
funding for a respective project or service; and,
WHEREAS, the second level of that criteria is whether,
based on the data collected in the Referenda, students expressed that a
particular fee is a top priority among all other proposed fee increases; and,
WHEREAS, the third level of that criteria is whether a
majority of students voted in support of at least partial funding of a proposed
fee increase; and,
WHEREAS, by applying the aforementioned three levels of
criteria the Student Senate makes the following recommendations to the
University Fee Review Committee, the Chancellor, the Board of Trustees, and the
Board of Governors; and,
WHEREAS, a fee increase of $9.00 has been proposed for the
Intercollegiate Athletics Fee-Operations, an increase of 5.98% from the current
rate of $150.50 per academic year; and,
WHEREAS, 3,737 out of 5,752 voters (67.1%) do not
see a need for increased funding in Intercollegiate Athletics Operations; and,
WHEREAS, 3,205 out of 5,752 voters (58.8%) suggested that
the Intercollegiate Athletics Fee-Operations should not be enacted; and,
WHEREAS, the proposed Intercollegiate Athletics fee would
contribute to salary adjustments, equipment needs, travel accommodations,
academic support for student athletes, and facilities operations costs; and,
WHEREAS, the proposed Intercollegiate Athletics fee failed
the first level of criteria with 67% voting in the negative and 33% voting in
the affirmative, therefore the students do not see a need for increased funding
for this service; and,
WHEREAS, the proposed Intercollegiate Athletics fee failed the
second level of criteria because only 5% of students would make the athletics
fee their top priority; and,
WHEREAS, the proposed Intercollegiate Athletics fee failed
the third level of criteria with 59% voting in the negative and only 41% voting
in the affirmative; and,
WHEREAS, a fee increase of $9.00 has been proposed for the
Educational & Technology Fee, an increase of 5.7% from the current rate of
$386.00 per academic year; and,
WHEREAS, 3,333 out of 5,752 voters (60.5%) do see a
need for increased funding in the Educational & Technology area; and,
WHEREAS, 3,175 out of 5,752 voters (58.0%) suggested that
the Educational & Technology Fee should be partly enacted; and,
WHEREAS, the proposed Educational & Technology fee
increase would create an additional walk-in center for students to handle
increased demand for service requests, consolidate University Classroom
Technology support to a centralized office, and add additional Wireless Hot
Spots; and,
WHEREAS, the proposed Educational & Technology fee
passed the first level of criteria with 61% voting in the affirmative and 39%
voting in the negative, therefore the students do see a need for increased
funding for this service; and,
WHEREAS, the proposed Educational & Technology fee passed the
second level of criteria with 35% of students made Educational & Technology fee
their top priority; and,
WHEREAS, the proposed Educational & Technology fee
passed the third level of criteria with 59% voting for at least partial funding
and 41% voting against funding; and,
WHEREAS, a fee increase of $1.50 has been proposed for the
Student Publications Fee, an increase of 10% from the current rate of $15.00
per academic year; and,
WHEREAS, 3,498 out of 5,752 voters (63.5%) do not
see a need for increased funding in Student Publications; and,
WHEREAS, 3,111 out of 5,752 voters (57.4%) suggested that
the Student Publications Fee should not be enacted; and,
WHEREAS, the proposed Student Publications fee increase
will provide a free Agromeck
to seniors participating in the senior portrait program, offset increased
operating cost, add a writing coach for the Technician,
and increase evening production assistance for the Technician; and,
WHEREAS, the proposed Student Publications fee failed the
first level of criteria with 63% voting in the negative and 37% voting in the
affirmative, therefore the students do not see a need for increased funding for
this service; and,
WHEREAS, the proposed Student Publications fee failed the second
level of criteria because only 4% of students would make the fee their top
priority; and,
WHEREAS, the proposed Student Publications fee failed the
third level of criteria with 57% voting in the negative and only 43% voting in
the affirmative; and,
WHEREAS, a fee increase of $5.00 has been proposed for the
Transit Operations Fee, an increase of 6.15% from the current rate of $130.00
per academic year; and,
WHEREAS, 3,003 out of 5,752 voters (54.9%) do see a
need for increased funding in Transit Operations; and,
WHEREAS, 3,026 out of 5,752 voters (55.8%) suggested that
the Transit Operations Fee should not be enacted; and,
WHEREAS, the proposed Transit Operations fee increase would
extend the daily Wolfline service from 6:00PM to
10:00PM, add a new limited-stop route for the Varsity Commuter lot, cover
increased cost in the Transit Visualization System, and cover increased cost in
student ridership on the Triangle Transit and Capital Area Transit systems;
and,
WHEREAS, the proposed Transit Operations fee passed the
first level of criteria with 55% voting in the affirmative and 45% voting in
the negative, therefore the students do see a need for increased funding for
this service; and,
WHEREAS, the proposed Transit Operations fee passed the second
level of criteria with 15% of students making it their top priority; and,
WHEREAS, the proposed Transit Operations fee passed the
third level of criteria with 58% voting for at least partial funding and 42%
voting in for no funding; and,
WHEREAS, a fee increase of $2.00 has been proposed for the
Union Activities Board Fee, an increase of 13.67% from the current rate of
$14.63 per academic year; and,
WHEREAS, 3,352 out of 5,752 voters (61.5%) do not
see a need for increased funding in the Union Activities Board; and,
WHEREAS, 3,013 out of 5,752 voters (55.9%) suggested that
the Union Activities Board Fee should not be enacted; and,
WHEREAS, the Union Activities Board (UAB) fee funds will
contribute to films, speakers, and special events, half of the University
Copyright fee for music, fund the continuation of the campus cinema at the
current operating level, and account for changes in operating costs; and,
WHEREAS, the proposed UAB fee failed the first level of
criteria with 59% voting in the negative and 41% voting in the affirmative,
therefore the students do not see a need for increased funding for this
service; and,
WHEREAS, the proposed UAB fee failed the second level of criteria
because only 4% of students would make the fee their top priority; and,
WHEREAS, the proposed UAB fee failed the third level of
criteria with 56% voting in the negative and only 44% voting in the
affirmative; and,
WHEREAS, a graduated fee increase per year has been
proposed to renovate and expand Talley Student Center and the Atrium Food Court
starting at $83.00 and not to exceed $290.00; and,
WHEREAS, 3,144 out of 5,752 voters (56.6%) do see a
need for increased funding in the Atrium Food Court and Talley Student Center;
and,
WHEREAS, 3,507 out of 5,752 voters (61.6%) suggested that
the Atrium Food Court and Talley Student Center fee should not be
enacted; and,
WHEREAS, the renovation of the Atrium Food Court will
increase the size of the serving area to relieve crowding, alter traffic flow
through the service area to address congestion, introduce new food options, and
relocate and renovate the restrooms; and,
WHEREAS, the expansion and renovation of Talley Student
Center will expand and improve dining options, increase student meeting space,
increase lounge and recreation areas, integrate the bookstore into Talley to
expand green space, provide more retail options, and offer more resources for
student groups; and,
WHEREAS, further attempts will be made to decrease the
student fee through private sponsorships and fundraising events; and,
WHEREAS, the proposed Atrium Food Court and Talley Student
Center fee passed the first level of criteria with 57% voting in the
affirmative and 43% voting in the negative, therefore the students do see a
need for increased funding for this service; and,
WHEREAS, the proposed Atrium Food Court and Talley Student fee
passed the second level of criteria because 38% of students would make the fee
their top priority; and,
WHEREAS, the proposed Atrium Food Court and Talley Student
fee failed the third level of criteria with 59% voting in the negative and only
41% voting in the affirmative; and,
WHEREAS, to ensure that students expressed needs and
priorities are met at the lowest possible costs to
students the Student Senate will continue with the Talley project. While Talley did not meet the third
criteria given that the Talley fee met two out of the three criteria: that
students expressed that the fee was needed and that it was ranked as a top
priority. Understanding that each
year we delay this project it will increase costs by $10 million and
understanding that the proposed Talley fee is the most cost effective way that
we will be able to meet students expressed needs and priorities in the short
term and long term; now therefore be it,
RESOLVED, the NC State University Student Senate does not support an
increase of $9.00 to Intercollegiate Athletics Operations; and be it further,
RESOLVED, the Senate supports an increase of $9.00 to Educational &
Technology; and be it further,
RESOLVED, the Senate supports an increase of $5.00 to Transit
Operations; and be it further,
RESOLVED, the Senate does not support an increase of $1.50 to Student
Publications; and be it further,
RESOLVED, the Senate does not support an increase of $2.00 to the Union
Activities Board; and be it further,
RESOLVED, the Senate supports the proposed graduated fee starting at
$83.00 and not to exceed $290.00 for the expansion and renovation of Talley
Student Center and the Atrium Food Court; and be it further,
RESOLVED, that the Student Senate strongly urges the Chancellor and the
Fee Review Committee to give due weight to these recommendations, as well as
the views of the students who participated in the Fee Referenda.
