Today is the day. Polls are open on campus. Six fees facestudents.
How will you vote?
“I have no idea what I’m voting for,” sociology junior JeremyCollins said. “I mean, I haven’t had any time to sit down and thinkabout it.”
Supporters of each fee have been trying to change this sentimentfor the past few weeks. E-mails to students, buttons, posters andeven ads in The Daily Aztec have enticed voters give their approvalfor particular issues.
For the first time, students will be deciding among six fees inthe referendum — $15 to sustain Student Health Services operations,$22 to build a new SHS facility, $10 to increase library hours, $5 toprovide scholarships to students studying abroad, $25 to offerscholarships to low-income students and $15 to improve retention andcultural activities on campus.
If each fee passes, tuition would increase $92 per semester.
With so many fees and with such a high price tag, supporters areafraid students will take one look at the ballot and reject them all.
“Of course it’s a concern,” SHS Director Dr. Kevin Patrick said.”We just hope people understand why (the two SHS fees) are needed.We’re trying to make it clear to students that this is important.”
So why all the fees at once?
At an Associated Students meeting last month, University PresidentStephen Weber said all of the fees have been discussed at separatetimes since he began working at the campus in 1997. This year, theyall came together.
The Campus Fee Advisory Committee voted last semester to put forthonly four of the six fees. Weber decided to add fees to providescholarships to low-income students and others who want to studyabroad.
Students believe building a new health center is the mostimportant fee on the ballot, according to a non-scientific poll beingtaken on The Aztec Web site this week. Out of 144 votes at presstime, 37 percent of students chose a new SHS as their top priority.Second in line was the library fee with 22 percent.
“If I were a student, I’d look carefully at each fee and decidethem individually,” Library Dean Connie Dowell said. “I would look tosee which fees are the most important, which fees will best serve thefaculty and students.”
According to numbers provided on the referendum ballot, the feeswhich will affect the most people on campus are the SHS and libraryfees; every student is able to use health services on campus and thelibrary is open to the public.
The one with the smallest scope is the study abroad fee, whichwould provide scholarships to 350 – 650 students.
According to a non-scientific poll on The Aztec Web site conductedlast week, 48 percent of students feel their vote won’t matter. Thereferendum is only advisory and Weber can ultimately choose whichfees to charge students. California State University ChancellorCharles Reed has the final say.
Weber has not gone against student opinion on fees yet — heagreed with the results for a SHS referendum in 1997 and a vote forthe Aquaplex in 1998.
However, he did go against student opinion last year over whetherMonty Montezuma should remain on campus. Eighty-six percent ofstudents who voted opted to keep the campus mascot. Weber removedhim.
