Spring Break
Student fees committee holds hearing
More than 400 signatures collected, asking student government to cut costs
Shanna Woodruff
Issue date: 2/27/09 Section: News
The Student Incidental Fees Committee held its open hearing in MU 109 Wednesday night before making its final determination on the proposed budgets.
Students, members of various advisory boards and additional faculty attended the meeting, nearly filling the room.
The final budget for Educational Activities, which represents much of the media programs, KBVR, Prism and ISOSU, also gave presentations at the meeting.
Each budget was first allowed time for the gallery (meaning anyone attending other than the SIFC) to make their comments about the budget, and then the SIFC openly discussed the budget and made their final decision.
The first commentary was made by Will Rogers, the president for the OSU Americans for Prosperity and a senior in mechanical and chemical engineering.
"I strongly recommend that the student government cut their budget and for them to not raise the fees," Rogers said.
Rogers has been involved with the petition where more than 424 total signatures were gathered requesting a one-year freeze on student fees.
"The purpose is to make sure the primary focus of school is education," Rogers said. He feels the increase in student fees to be unnecessary, especially with the current economy.
ASOSU President Ryan Mann expressed how the committee has been especially careful in assessing the budgets and that tuition increases are a much larger concern.
Mann mentioned that there may be a possible 10 percent increase in tuition that will be much greater than the student fees.
The committee continued and there was little further debate until the final budget from musician ensembles was discussed.
The original request by the musician advisory board was an increase of $0.83 per student per term, and the SIFC approved the current fee of $2.29 without the increase. At the meeting, the musician ensembles changed to request an increase of at least $0.28 per student per term.
Several band members expressed their opinions about the need for the student fee increase to help pay the band stipends.
Students, members of various advisory boards and additional faculty attended the meeting, nearly filling the room.
The final budget for Educational Activities, which represents much of the media programs, KBVR, Prism and ISOSU, also gave presentations at the meeting.
Each budget was first allowed time for the gallery (meaning anyone attending other than the SIFC) to make their comments about the budget, and then the SIFC openly discussed the budget and made their final decision.
The first commentary was made by Will Rogers, the president for the OSU Americans for Prosperity and a senior in mechanical and chemical engineering.
"I strongly recommend that the student government cut their budget and for them to not raise the fees," Rogers said.
Rogers has been involved with the petition where more than 424 total signatures were gathered requesting a one-year freeze on student fees.
"The purpose is to make sure the primary focus of school is education," Rogers said. He feels the increase in student fees to be unnecessary, especially with the current economy.
ASOSU President Ryan Mann expressed how the committee has been especially careful in assessing the budgets and that tuition increases are a much larger concern.
Mann mentioned that there may be a possible 10 percent increase in tuition that will be much greater than the student fees.
The committee continued and there was little further debate until the final budget from musician ensembles was discussed.
The original request by the musician advisory board was an increase of $0.83 per student per term, and the SIFC approved the current fee of $2.29 without the increase. At the meeting, the musician ensembles changed to request an increase of at least $0.28 per student per term.
Several band members expressed their opinions about the need for the student fee increase to help pay the band stipends.
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