2008 Woodie Awards
Student Activity Fee to increase by $25
Marisol Urrutia
Issue date: 5/1/08 Section: Sports & Clubs
Full-time UST students will pay $25 more than this year's $85 dollars-per-semester for the student activity fee starting in the fall. Based on projected enrollment figures, the increased fee will raise approximately $300,000 in student activity funds for the upcoming school year.
As a result of the increased fee amount, the Student Government Association granted four student organizations, Graduate Student Association, Student Activities Board, Council of Clubs and Sports Club Association, their full budget requests at three successive April SGA meetings.
Last year, the student activity funds, which totaled nearly $220,000, proved to be insufficient to fully fund COC and SAB's budget requests. Additionally, SGA could not fund unforeseen events during the year, according to senior senator and math and engineering major Jonathan Hanus. This year, however, COC received its requested $72,633 for its 28 clubs, and SAB received $70,140.
Hanus said that athletic safety and UST's sports reputation have always made SCA funding a priority. SGA granted SCA its requested $65,385.
Hanus, who proposed the fee increase, said that the raise in the student activity fee was inevitable. UST's attempts to build tradition, to give the community valuable events and to strengthen its reputation will largely depend on the University's funding of student activities, Hanus said.
UST President Robert Ivany accepted the $25-per-student increase in student activity fees, following SGA's approval on April 8.
Amanda Ingersoll, next year's SAB president and junior marketing major, said she plans to ask students what more they want from their UST events, and has already begun doing so. She said she will direct funds towards quality, not quantity, to strengthen the impact of events.
"I have been in SAB since freshman year. I think that heeding [student] advice will make it that much stronger," Ingersoll said.
Ingersoll said that, in the past, SAB managed to do well despite budget cuts but that she was sure COC needed the budget increase.
As a result of the increased fee amount, the Student Government Association granted four student organizations, Graduate Student Association, Student Activities Board, Council of Clubs and Sports Club Association, their full budget requests at three successive April SGA meetings.
Last year, the student activity funds, which totaled nearly $220,000, proved to be insufficient to fully fund COC and SAB's budget requests. Additionally, SGA could not fund unforeseen events during the year, according to senior senator and math and engineering major Jonathan Hanus. This year, however, COC received its requested $72,633 for its 28 clubs, and SAB received $70,140.
Hanus said that athletic safety and UST's sports reputation have always made SCA funding a priority. SGA granted SCA its requested $65,385.
Hanus, who proposed the fee increase, said that the raise in the student activity fee was inevitable. UST's attempts to build tradition, to give the community valuable events and to strengthen its reputation will largely depend on the University's funding of student activities, Hanus said.
UST President Robert Ivany accepted the $25-per-student increase in student activity fees, following SGA's approval on April 8.
Amanda Ingersoll, next year's SAB president and junior marketing major, said she plans to ask students what more they want from their UST events, and has already begun doing so. She said she will direct funds towards quality, not quantity, to strengthen the impact of events.
"I have been in SAB since freshman year. I think that heeding [student] advice will make it that much stronger," Ingersoll said.
Ingersoll said that, in the past, SAB managed to do well despite budget cuts but that she was sure COC needed the budget increase.