SGA votes “No” to more fees

Fees for athletics, career services only increases supported

October 29, 2008
by Pet Nickeas
Public Affairs Reporter

Photo by David Clary The SGA recently voted against supporting a fee increase for Lincoln Residence Hall. They also rejected an increase for the East side apartments.

Student Government Association bucked the trend over recent years of rubber-stamping administration fee increase proposals.

SGA did not pass a housing fee resolution, which asked for a 4.2 percent increase in the Lincoln Residence Hall fee and between 2.2 percent and 6.3 percent increases for apartments.

The health and counseling services fee resolution also did not pass. Health and Counseling Services are seeking a 6.9 percent increase, which would cost each student an additional two dollars.

The point of disagreement for SGA members was how the fee was split: 50 percent to health services and the other half to counseling services. Student Trustee Craig McFarland raised the point that the two services should not receive equal funding and a single resolution handling both services would prevent the board from approving more or less for a single service.

“They're both very important services but the problem I have is that they're combined into one fee and they get a fifty-fifty split of all the money we pay into that fee,” McFarland said. “And I think health services are used a lot more than counseling ... so just on a sheer numbers basis, I don't think it's fair to give half the money to counseling services.”

A 14.8% athletics fee was approved, as well as a career services fee increase of 10.7%. The career services fee will cost students an additional $1.50 and the athletics fee will cost students an additional $17.

SGA's decision to not pass the housing fee resolution or the health and counseling services resolution was largely symbolic. The student government's votes are not binding and are only advisory votes to the board of trustees, which has authority to approve or deny fee increases.

The next board meeting is Nov. 13 at UIS. The fee increases will be on the agenda.