Fee board approves $13.50 increase

The USU Student Fee Board approved a $13.50 increase in student fees Monday night after four presentations and three and a half hours of debate in the Senate Chambers on the third floor of the Taggart Student Center.

This year’s culprit: Decreases in enrollment.

“This is the first time we’ve had to come here,” said Clint Moffit, assistant vice president for finance. “If enrollment would have stayed up, we wouldn’t be having this discussion.”

Although reluctant in their requests, officials from the Aggie Marching Band, Student Health and Wellness Center, Athletic Department and finance office each asked for additional student fee increases to go into effect fall semester 2006.

“We need to decide when [fee increases] are getting to the point that it will be turning students away,” Student Fee Board President Justin Atkinson said to members of the board before approving the increase. “A couple increases makes the student pay quite a bit.”

The approval of the $13.50 increase is $2 less than what the individual departments, such as the Student Health and Wellness Center, originally requested.

“We’re struggling because enrollment’s down and that’s really the bottom line,” said Jim Davis, director of the Student Health and Wellness Center.

Since the wellness center was relocated a couple years ago, the level of care has been going up for more students despite the drop in enrollment, Davis said.

Although he requested a $6 increase, the fee board approved a $5 increase on the basis that the Wellness Center should be able to make adjustments in other areas to compensate. The center may consider other options such as trimming operations, decreasing services, implementing a co-payment or billing insurance companies.

Members of the board were divided on that the fact if enrollment were to increase next year, the wellness center would have a surplus.

“For many years, the philosophy has been to base this year’s budget on next year’s,” said Gary Chambers, associate vice president for student services. “We’re all optimistic but we don’t know.”

Clint Moffit, assistant vice president for finance/controller, requested a $3.50 increase in the building fee also due to decreases in enrollment. This fee is set to keep the university’s bond rating in good standing. The board unanimously approved the increase in order to avoid 2-3 percent higher rates in building fees due to a default in bond ratings.

“Everything else will remain in business if they don’t receive the increase, but if the university’s can’t pay off the building bonds, then that’s very serious,” Atkinson said.

The Athletic Department also requested a $5 increase mainly due to the passage of House Bill 331 in 2003 that eliminated the ability of out-of-state student athletes to gain residency after attending USU for one year.

“This is very important to all of us,” Athletic Director Randy Spetman said. “If the Athletics Department is in deficit, it will be in the papers.”

In the end, the board passed a $4 increase. Most members were divided on approving a $5 increase because the money will be earmarked to pay for scholarships for the student athletes. “I’ve been a student at Utah State since 1992 and the football team hasn’t won since then, so I don’t support any increase,” said Maure Smith, graduate studies vice president.

But Rosie Strong, ASUSU Athletics vice president, said the university has new opportunities to improve its athletics since USU has entered into the Western Athletic Conference.

“We need to be competing at the same level as the rest of the universities in the WAC,” Strong said.

As a final increase, the board passed a $1 increase in the College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences, earmarked to the Aggie Marching Band.

For several months, the Aggie Marching Band has been looking for the support of ASUSU and other university officials to keep the band going. Currenlty the band’s operating budget is $10,823 and needs $120,000 for new uniforms and another $10,000 per year for instruments.

Jay Greene, HASS budget and information officer, requested that $1 increase be placed as a new fee so that money would not be dissolve into other areas of the music department.

“I don’t think this warrants its own fee,” ASUSU President Quinn Millet said. “There are a lot of other fees that students pay.”

Board member Nate Putnam was unhappy with the way the Aggie Marching Band approached the request, but said that it is important to remember to support the arts and social sciences on campus.

-mmackay@cc.usu.edu

Info box:Student Fee Increase:

College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences, earmarked to Aggie Marching Band: $1

Student Health and Wellness Center fee: $5

Athletics fee: $4

Building fee: $3.50

Total increase: $13.50