Committee OKs fee hikes

Promises of continued improvements to student services won over the Student Fee Audit Committee during its meeting Monday.

The committee approved a $2 permanent fee increase to the campus recreation general fund, a one-time $2 fee increase for the Student Recreation Center and a one-time $3 fee increase for the Language Proficiency Exam.

This would bump the fees for next academic year up to $36, $14 and $35, respectively.

The fees will go before the Chancellor's Committee on Student Fees, the Board of Trustees and eventually the UNC-System Board of Governors before they are officially added on to students' bills.

The SRC needs money to fund reclassified positions, increased student wages and the upkeep and replacement of exercise equipment, according to the request reviewed by the committee.

Lauren Mangili, director of the SRC, said cardiovascular workout machines have a lifespan of five to seven years, and the SRC replaces seven to 10 pieces of equipment each year.

The SRC and the newly opened Rams Head Recreation Center are funded by separate fees, and there will not be a fee increase for Rams Head for next year.

Mangili said that because the SRC is a relatively old facility, it requires more housekeeping attention.

The facilities are cleaned by UNC Housekeeping Services, but Mangili said the department requires more attention than it receives now.

The SRC receives the standard level of cleaning, the costs of which are covered by the University's general budget.

"It just requires more maintenance than the University is willing to cover as a regular level of service," Mangili said.

If the center requested more detailed cleaning from the University, it must pay more - an option Mangili said she is not interested in.

It would cost about $500 to fund the deep cleaning the center desires, Mangili said.

Officials will take bids from outside cleaning services before they outsource the service.

Marty Pomerantz, director of campus recreation, said the potential raise in the campus recreation fee will help to increase the Sport Clubs Program budget, improve public safety, increase quality of sports officiating and increase the pay rate by six percent to employees - which affects more than 500 students.

During his term as student body president last year, Matt Calabria made a point to increase the amount of money allocated to sport clubs.

And the initiative will continue next year, Pomerantz said.

The club's executive council will receive $28,000 to give out next year if the increase is passed.

The language proficiency test, administered by teaching assistants, requires a fee increase because of past miscalculations.

The $31 test fee, which was charged to students who took the test and given directly to the teaching assistant who proctored the exam, did not include money the graduate school had to pay the proctors for services such as insurance.

The fee now will go toward administering the test and decreasing any deficit incurred.

The Chancellor's Committee on Student Fees will review the proposals at its next meeting Friday.

Next week, these groups will examine proposed hikes to the athletic and technology fees, which typically garner the largest increases.

 

Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.