San Diego State has been discussing the implementation of a new Student Success Fee designed to expand class sizes and create funding for more teachers.

Campus Fee Advisory Committee member and Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs Kathy LaMaster said 90 percent of the fee will be used to hire more professors and add more class sections, while the other 10 percent will be allotted for general academic proposals. As part of the proposal process, students can submit faculty-backed fund requests for specific use in their prospective departments.

CFAC held a series of open forums throughout February to gauge students’ reactions to the proposed fee. The forums featured short presentations addressing how the fee would be used and provided feedback forms for students to respond.

Forum attendees were given forms with options ranging from $500 per semester to no fee. The fee would be implemented during the next four years, with students only paying 25 percent in the first semester, LaMaster said.

Here’s how it all breaks down, according to the presentation:

• A $200 increase would allow for the addition of 80 new faculty members cumulatively and 360 course sections annually.
• A $300 increase would provide funds for 120 new faculty members cumulatively and 540 new course sections annually.
• A $400 increase would allow 160 new faculty hires cumulatively and 720 new course sections annually.
• A $500 increase would fund 200 new faculty hires cumulatively and add 900 course sections annually.

The forums were part of an alternative consultation process, LaMaster said.

CFAC used the data accumulated at forums to make a recommendation to President Elliot Hirshman, who will then make a recommendation to the California State University chancellor. The chancellor must approve the fee before its implementation.

Photo by Kevin Serrano, staff photographer