There are plenty of student committees designed to give input to administrators, but it isn’t often that the student voices seem to make much of a difference.
Campus health officials recently proposed raising the student health fee by $21 in order to fund usual operations as well as a new facility. But when they took the proposal to the student fee advisory committee, the students were less than supportive.
Student representatives on the committee raised concerns about funding a new capital project in the wake of almost certain increases in tuition, other fees and the new health insurance requirement.
Student body treasurer and sub-committee member Dakota Williams was right on target when he said that “the student body cannot sustain a new capital venture.” Students are already bearing an increased burden. If a capital project can wait, it should.
In reaction to the voiced concerns, student health officials cut the proposed fee increase from $21 to $8 and decided to put the new facility on hold for now.
A $13 cut in a proposed fee increase might seem like a modest victory at best, but from a long-term perspective it really does count.
Once instituted or increased, student fees are rarely cut or eliminated. Every dollar counts, and it’s good that dollars have been saved that can wait for a better budgetary future.
Furthermore, the decision to cut the proposed increase is a significant step toward better collaboration on student fees between student representatives and administrators.
Administrators need to work harder to make sure students actually want the services that their fees are paying for. It is encouraging to see that in this respect the student fee advisory committee was able to effectively fight for the interests of the students.
Campus health won’t be getting a new building anytime soon, but given the circumstances, it’s the right thing to do.
The students have spoken and they don’t want to pay for it.
