UNC’s Board of Governors approved a $20 student fee reduction after reviewing UNC Student Wellness’ budget and determining money was being used for non-health related services geared towards sexual health and diversity initiatives.
“Sexual health is not one of the top wellness concerns outside of preventing STDs,” said Board of Governors member Steven Long. “Most of the concerns, according to the Centers for Disease Control, are things such as stress, nutrition, a proper diet — those types of things. The emphasis was not on those higher priority wellness needs. To be generous, calling it sexual health, it was more sex counseling, it was not a wellness program.”
Though it was the focus of the board’s review, the fee reduction will not impact any of its services offered because Campus Health is divvying the budget cut’s impact among departments.
UNC’s student health fee — $436 per semester in the 2013-14 academic year — will still be one of the highest student health fee among colleges in the UNC system after the cut is enacted in August.
