In early November, San Diego State University introduced a plan to substantially increase the student Instructionally Related Activity Fee, aimed at supporting and developing a number of SDSU athletic programs, including intercollegiate sports, student-success initiatives and student clubs. 

The existing fee is a mandatory student payment that funds various activities contained within the SDSU athletics department. 

As of right now, the proposal features a 45% fee increase that will raise the current $580 per-year fee to $840, according to the San Diego Union Tribune. While the fee has been adjusted annually for inflation in past years, it has not undergone change to this degree since Fall 2009.

Since its inception, discussion and planning for the increase proposal have followed an alternative consultation process, meaning SDSU students have the opportunity to offer their insight and influence the contents and priorities of the fee increase proposal. 

The final vote, however, will not depend on student input and rests exclusively with SDSU President Adela de la Torre. 

“Ultimately, I see this as a collaborative process that has potential to enhance athletics and thereby enhance the experiences of main portions of the university that we care greatly about,” said Chris Manning, vice president for student affairs and campus diversity.

Recent proposed changes outline funding for repairs and maintenance, adaptive athletics, spirit teams and more, as discussed by SDSU staff members at a Nov. 19 A.S. Board of Directors meeting.

According to SDSU Chief of Staff Brittany Santos-Derieg, 40% of the fee adjustment will be directed toward the upkeep of shared facilities. This includes field replacement, service of tennis courts and swim facilities, and similar maintenance projects where appropriate. 

What’s more, a portion of the fee revenue will be dedicated to carving out funding for adaptive athletics and paraathletes. Santos-Derieg emphasized that adaptive athletics do not fall under the D1 athletics or club sports infrastructures, leaving them with low levels of institutional support and no funding from the current IRA budget. 10% of the fee is also to be allocated to spirit teams, such as SDSU Dance and SDSU Cheerleading. 

Another notable change is the intention to redistribute funding to the SDSU Imperial Valley Campus. IRA funds are to assist in the building of athletic facilities and the introduction of intramural sports and athletic activities on the Imperial Valley campus, with the goal of ensuring equitable access for those students. 

“100% of the revenue that comes from Imperial Valley students has to stay and be invested in Imperial Valley,” Santos-Derieg said.

Further student input pushed for the incorporation of a Return to Aid, a policy designed to redistribute a portion of IRA funds to students who may struggle to afford the fee increase. 

While these modifications are largely intended to benefit all students of SDSU and foster “well-being, community [and] higher grades,” as expressed by Manning, various undergraduates have voiced opposition to the IRA fee increase proposal as a whole. 

For some, financial burden and academic irrelevance have been cited as chief points of concern and cause for grievance. 

“I am an out-of-state student, and given that tuition increases every year, adding a fee I’d pay every year for that has no impact on my education makes the strain feel even more overwhelming,” said Arwen Handel, a second-year human geography major.

Skylar Posey, a third-year business management major, offered similar sentiments. 

“Students are already struggling with being able to afford the costs of living and tuition costs, so adding another fee on top of everything strictly for athletics, which is not something that will directly add to the education we are paying for, seems inconsiderate and unnecessary,” Posey said.

Posey also spoke to the system by which the proposal’s outcome will be determined. Ultimately, students have neither a formal vote nor a final say in whether or not the IRA fee increase moves forward. The scope of their influence is ultimately limited to offering insight and feedback on existing plans. They can simply offer their insights and feedback.

“From what I understand, there is a small group, which is majority students, who get to decide based on their opinions and opinions of fellow students, and then they give a recommendation to Adela,” she said. “She then gets to decide, which she doesn’t always listen to students.”

While the proposal continues to advance, the consultative process remains underway and proposal themes are still subject to change from the Campus Fee Advisory Committee. Proposed changes are to be implemented after approval from CFAC. 

A final meeting is scheduled to be held on Dec. 5 at 11 a.m. in the SDSU Tula Community Center, where a formal recommendation will be made to SDSU President Adela De La Torre. It is open to all SDSU students and staff.