Activities, Health Services, Music and Theater fees increased, Athletics pending

The Student Fee Board voted Wednesday on proposed increases in student fees for the upcoming 2016-17 academic year. Three fees were approved for an increase, with a fourth, the athletics fee, still under review.

These proposed fees are suggestions that go to USU President Stan Albrecht, who will give his stamp of approval or disapproval for next year’s budget. Once approved by President Albrecht, the fees then go to the Board of Trustees.

The Fee Board approved additional fees to support Activities ($1.27), Health Services ($1.72), and the Music and Theater program ($1). No decision was reached on the Athletic Department’s request for a $10 increase for the athletics fee.

There were several motions to vote on partial increases, and all of those votes failed. The motion to vote on no increase failed, so it will be further discussed in the next meeting. About one-third of the voting members of the board are against any increase.

Part of the board’s indecision about whether to increase the athletics fee revolves around the Athletic Department’s $500,000 deficit in the previous fiscal year.

James Morales, the vice president for student services, pointed out the positive affect winning athletic programs have on admissions and said if the students don’t support the athletics program, the university could lose potential future Aggies.

“I am responsible for keeping student enrollment,” Morales said. “We should take any advantage we have to bring up student profile.”

Ashley Waddoups, the Utah State University Student Advocate VP, said there is a disconnect when it comes to the perceptions of students’ attitudes of raising the price for the Athletics Department.

“Looking at the benefits, I would rather become a Harvard and be known for our research rather than our athletics,” Waddoups said.

The Fee Board will look to come to a decision on the proposed athletics fee increase at its next meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 3, at 5:30 p.m. That meeting will be held in the Senate Chambers on the third floor of the Taggart Student Center and is open to the public.

The increase in the Health Services fee will be used to budget money for a new psychiatrist for Counseling and Psychological Services. Currently, the CAPS employees are overworked and underfunded, and have students waiting up to three weeks seeking one-on-one psychological counseling.

The Activities fee increase will go towards the salaries of advisers of the Student Involvement and Leadership Center who run activities like the Howl and Mardi Gras.

This fee increase was proposed due to a federal mandate that will change the minimum salary threshold for exempt employees, and is a proactive step by the center to keep its advisers above that minimum threshold. With a salary that falls below that line, the advisers in the center will have their weekly hours capped at 40.

This measure is expected to be passed soon and be implemented on July 1, 2016.

Money from the Music and Theater increase will go toward buying better sets and props for the Theater department. This proposed fee increase will not go toward things like career development for musicians; that comes from the Caine College of the Arts college’s differential tuition.

Samuel Meredith, the USUSA Arts Student Senator said it is very clear the college needs financial attention.

“The Theater department doesn’t have enough money to build scenery, to build them as well as they would like to,” Meredith said. “The money would help build their on-stage product.”

— morgan.pratt.robinson@gmail.com