Committee requests 1.6 percent increase to UI student fees
After hearing from several entities on campus and much deliberation, the Student Fee Committee proposed a 1.6 percent increase, or $8.73, in student activity fees for the 2015-2016 academic year.
ASUI Director of Finance Kailey Holt said the 1.6 percent increase is a comparable request to years past.
Of the $8.73, $6.99 would fund any Change in Employee Compensation (CEC) the Idaho Legislature decides on, $1.25 would be allocated to instrument repair and maintenance for the University of Idaho marching band and $0.49 would go to University Sport Services, including maintenance of the Kibbie Dome, Swim Center and Memorial Gymnasium.
Nate Fisher
After submitting the proposal Friday, ASUI President Nate Fisher started preliminary discussions and negotiations with UI President Chuck Staben, who makes the ultimate decision before submitting the proposal to the State Board of Education (SBOE). SBOE will announce the final tuition and/or student fee increase at a meeting in April.
Fisher said he feels good about his partnership with Staben and the direction the initial discussions are going.
“The State Board of Education looks at tuition and fees as one number, so it’s something (Staben and I) need to be on the same page with,” Fisher said. “We’re both pretty confident about it. We both knew the parameters going into this process, and ultimately he values student opinion.”
ASUI Director of Policy and voting member of the Student Fee Committee Tanner Beymer said although deliberations were passionate, he believes all student representatives walked away happy with the committee’s final proposal.
Holt, who sat as an advisory member of the committee, said she thought Fisher was a strong leader for the student body within the committee.
“It was clear that (Fisher) really wants students receiving the most bang for their buck, and ensuring the university is upholding their end of what they promise and students are getting what they expected,” she said.
Holt said the group’s main priority was ensuring university programs could continue operating at current capacity while keeping in mind
Staben’s promise to not approve anything above a 2 percent increase.
“We didn’t want to be luxurious with increasing student fees,” Holt said. “As much as we would love to see new projects and initiatives, it just wasn’t feasible for this year.”
Beymer said the committee was careful to vet organizations that weren’t granted funds to ensure a lack of funding wouldn’t result in a loss of positions or programs. He used ASUI’s $2 request as an example.
According to Beymer, Fisher spearheaded an idea to allocate the $2 proposed increase to create a unique student space in Commons 215, where the College of Education administration offices are currently located.
Beymer said the project was among many that were passed over, and ASUI received no votes as the committee drafted the final proposal.
“That really was a testament to how (Fisher) really does have the best interests of students in mind,” Beymer said. “Most of those that didn’t get funding wanted to start new programs, which were things we’d love to see them do. It just wasn’t feasible this fiscal year.”
Overall, Fisher said he believes the process is going smoothly.
“It’s a very important process,” Fisher said. “The committee handled it with great care and consideration, and we will be as judicious as we can with student money.”
Hannah Shirley can be reached at [email protected]