2006-2007 student fees drop, second-tier tuition rises

This archived article was written by: Michelle Smith

Student fees for 2006-07 will drop $16.70 per semester with the difference being made up in a $36.65 second-tier tuition increase proposed by the College of Eastern Utah administration. Last year student fees were $184.50 a semester, next year they will be $167.80 per semester.
This past year, $27.50 of each student’s fees was given to the athletic department and $10 was given to the departmental budgets. The athletic department and departmental fees are now funded under the second-tier tuition.
Fees staying the same include the student center operations at $6, alumni at 90 cents, intramural programs at $6, BDAC at $2 and newspaper $3.70.
Those programs receiving additional funding included the museum who went from 30 cents to 70 cents, radio from 30 cents to $1, SUN Center from $1 to $1.25, campus police from $2.50 to $3.50, game room from $2 to $3, student identification cards from $2 to $5, ASCEU leadership from $33.50 to $36.50, health and wellness from $11 to $15, computer lab for students from $2.50 to $12, super activity from zero to $3.50 and recognition from zero to 75 cents.
The Burtenshaw bond was reduced from $32 to $29 and the student center bond from $41.30 to $38.
A breakdown of the fees include the CEU Alumni Association who received 90 cents. An increase was not requested and SFAC found that an increase was not needed. The fee will stay and 90 cents with the understanding that the annual alumni newsletter, for which the fee is requested, will be produced.
This year the museum received 30 cents. SFAC felt it was necessary to raise the fee to 70 cents. The museum requested additional money to make changes to the museum. They would like to update the mass extinction exhibit and laboratory equipment. They would also like to use the money for field equipment and vehicle fuel. The vehicle fuel would be for dinosaur digs. The museum would like to invite students to go on dinosaur digs with the museum staff.
This year the radio station received 30 cents. SFAC felt it was necessary to raise this fee to $1. They will receive this increase but to keep it in the future they need to comply with the following rules. The radio must broadcast the station to the following facilities or areas on campus, including but not limited to, the cafeteria, BDAC, track, game room, bookstore and student center. By doing this the radio station would be better utilized by the students. The radio station may not invest this money into the webcast as proposed. SFAC felt that webcast would not be a productiv use of th funds. If the money is invested in the webcast, radio will not receive student fee money from the 2006-2007 SFAC. Radio will replace the speakers around campus that have not been replaced.
Currently, the Burtenshaw Bond fee is $32. SFAC felt that this fee could be lowered and still meet the needs of the bond. This account only needs to meet the bond by 1.25 percent. Currently, according to Vice President of Finance and Administrative Services Raelene Allred, the bond is being meet by 2.14 percent. Because of this excess next year the bond fee should be $29.
This year the Student Center Bond receives $41.30. SFAC proposes that this fee be lowered to $38.00. This account has built up a surplus and therefore does not need the $41.30 currently appropriated. Allred indicated in her presentation that due to the large sum build up in this account, reducing it would not hurt bond requirements.
This year the campus police receives $2.50. Next year this fee needs to be raised to $3.50 in order to meet the requested $10,000 by the police department. The reason for this raise is for the police to continue serving the needs of the students. They do a wonderful job and need the raise,
This year the intramural program received $6. Next year, the intramural program is required to put up publicity for every sport. They are also required to do food nights before each upcoming activity. This is to bring more people out to support intramural programs and let the student body know about them and participate in them.
SFAC would also like to see more competition between the dorms. The intramural staff member in charge should take the lead in planning and executing sporting events. This person is primarily responsible for the success of the program. A job description needs to be written for this staff member. This fee will stay at $6.
The recreation fee was $2 Next year the name of this fee needs to be changed to game room fee. The game room will receive a raise to $3. The following guidelines must be followed next year. The game room needs to do more to generate money for itself. Tournaments, activities, Halo and DDR tournaments need to be held to help generate more money. To receive any further increase, game room management must provide a utilization chart showing how much students use the facility.
This year the BDAC received $2. Next year the BDAC should continue to remain open during Christmas break and not charge students who are enrolled for spring semester. SFAC proposes that this fee stay the same.
This year the health and wellness center received $11. Next year SFAC proposes that this fee be raised to $15. SFAC requests that the center provide statistics on the student utilization of the clinic during the 2006-07 SFAC hearings.
This year the computer lab received $2.50. SFAC found it necessary to raise this fee to $12. SFAC requests that the computers currently available are utilized to the maximum extent before anymore are purchased. Maybe rotate the computers that are being used heavily with those hardly used in the Reeves computer labs. Provide statistics on how many students use the computers and how many computers are used. Future increases will be based on utilization.
The super activity fee is new for the 2006 “2007 fiscal years. SFAC proposed that the fee be set at $3.50. The purpose of this fee is to provide one big campus activity. This activity would be similar to the USU’s “The Howl” or Salt Lake Community Colleges “Stupid Cupid.”
This fee would help with retention and recruitment for the college. If a person is not a student of CEU they would pay more to get into the activity. ASCEU Leadership will make the activities VP and that council responsible for the super activity. The activities council, with the assistance of the adviser, will provide a report to SFAC on the success and/or failures of the super activity and how many people attended.
The recognition fee is new for the 2006 “2007 fiscal years. SFAC proposed that this fee be set at 75 cents. This fund is established for any club and/or organization on campus who qualifies for a state or national competition. This fund will be based on an annul proposal presented to the recognition fund committee which will be established by ASCEU leadership executive board. Each club and/or organization must request funding annually but cannot receive the money in consecutive years. The maximum award per year can not exceed $1,000 per club or organization.
The Student Fee Allocation Committee requested that the business office change the practice of depositing other revenues into student fee accounts.
For example, the newspaper currently has revenue from selling advertisements going into the student fee account. It is difficult, if not impossible, for SFAC to determine what student fee monies have purchased. Departments can easily state that fee money was not used for certain items, when other revenue is in the same account. The student body would like, and requests to know exactly where their students fees are going. By creating separate accounts for other than fee revenue, students can find out easily. There would be no question about what it was spent on.
The Student Fee Allocation Committee would like to express gratitude for the time and effort provided by the various departments in preparing, submitting and presenting information. SFAC also is grateful to President Ryan Thomas for the opportunity he has provided for student leaders to make recommendations regarding their student fees and especially this year for giving student leaders the second tier tuition which made it possible to reduce student fees,