Resolution 05

A RESOLUTION TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT TO CONDUCT A STUDENT FEE REFERENDUM FOR THE 2012-2013 ACADEMIC YEAR

Short Title: 2012-2013 Fee Referendum Act           

Sponsors: Senator O’Donnell

Secondary Sponsors:

Signatories:

Referred to: Tuition and Fees           

Version: Initial

First Reading: April 25, 2012                        Second Reading:

WHEREAS,  a referendum is the “practice of referring measures proposed by a legislative body to the vote of the electorate for approval or rejection,” as defined by Random House dictionary; and,

WHEREAS,  the Board of Governors’ policy 1000.1.1, in summary, states that each university’s fee advisory committee evaluate all student fees and make recommendations to the Chancellor regarding proposed fee increases and continuation of other fees for which an increase has not been requested; and,

WHEREAS,  the North Carolina State University Student Senate, being composed of representatives of the student body, is an abstraction of student will; and,

WHEREAS,  an online student fee referendum through vote.ncsu.edu is the most effective means to engage our constituents and represent them at the fee review committee; and,

WHEREAS,  although there is currently no official requirement to hold a referendum, the North Carolina State University Student Senate can clarify whether or not it deems a referendum appropriate for the 2012-2013 academic year; and,

WHEREAS, the following fees total $2040.71 per year for full time, undergraduate students:

General Student Activities    

                        Union Activity Board Fee

                        Student Publications Fee

                        Student Government Fee

                        Student Legal Services Fee

                        Reserve - Student Affairs

                        School (Student Association) Fee

Student Center Operations Fee         

Student Center Repairs and Renovations Fee           

Recreational Sports Fee         

Association of Student Governments Fee     

Intercollegiate Athletics Fee - Operations     

Student Health Service Fee - Operations      

Educational & Technology Fee         

Transit Operations Fee (Bus Service)

                        Thompson Theatre Building - Indebtedness

                        Student Health Service - Expansion

                        Intercollegiate Athletics - Indebtedness

                        Carmichael Recreational Center - Indebtedness

                        Carmichael Complex - Indebtedness

                        Student Center – Expansion; and,

WHEREAS, this graph includes all fees, except indebtedness and expansion:

WHEREAS,  effective communication practices by the student senate increased student participation in recent online fee referenda; and,

WHEREAS,  3.4% (1,083) of eligible students voted in the 2007 fee referendum; and,

WHEREAS, 10.3% (3,400) of eligible students voted in the 2008 fee referendum; and,

WHEREAS, 18.9% (5,752) of eligible student voted in the 2009 fee referendum; and,

WHEREAS, the North Carolina State University Student Senate did not use effective communication practices in fall 2010, resulting in a survey with only 148 students participants; and,

WHEREAS,   participation at “town hall” style fee review meetings, tuition talks, etc, has been very low or nonexistent; and,

WHEREAS,   20.3% of eligible students voted in Student Government’s 2011 spring election; and,

WHEREAS,   in 2005, 26.9% of eligible students voted, which was the highest participation in a general election conducted through vote.ncsu.edu; and,

WHEREAS,  an online student fee referendum through vote.ncsu.edu is the most effective means to engage our constituents and represent them at the fee review committee; now therefore be it,

RESOLVED, that the North Carolina State University Student Senate shall effectively publicize and conduct a fee referendum before the Fee Review Committee meets in the 2012 academic year to vote on fees for the 2013-2014 year; and be it further,

RESOLVED, that the Tuition and Fees Committee is encouraged to work with the University Fee Review Committee to facilitate informed voters by providing students with summarized and detailed information through the vote.ncsu.edu system; and be it further,

RESOLVED, that North Carolina State University Student Senate shall collaborate with WolfTV to record and distribute interviews with persons in the university administration that make the fee increase request; and be it further,

RESOLVED, the referendum ascertains the value that students receive from their fees by asking the following, single and unambiguous question about each existing fee rate, except indebtedness fees: “[to be amended by the committee]”; and be it further,

RESOLVED, the referendum ascertains the value that students receive from proposed fee changes by asking the following, single and unambiguous question about each proposed fee change: “[to be amended by the committee]”; and be it further,

RESOLVED, that this bill shall become effective upon enrollment.