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 6^th, 2009                           Second Reading: October 6^th, 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 5^th, 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.