By Kimberly Uslin
Elm Staff Writer
As many Washington College students are aware, there was recently debate on campus as to whether or not the Student Activities fee should be raised. The Student Activities fee is a part of tuition used to fund the film, speaker, and concert series on campus as well as Birthday Ball, “the Pegasus,” the Elm, “the Collegian,” the
“WC Review,” and the Board of Publications.
Additionally, a portion of the fee is given to the SGA for club and activity allotments. The debate concerning raising the fee deals specifically with this portion.
As SGA Financial Controller Michel Drake explained, the fee needs to be raised because “we’ve seen in the past few years that the number of clubs and the number of good ideas club leaders have had has been increasing, but our funding has remained the same. The clubs themselves are obviously experiencing detriment from that because as the number of clubs increases, funding for individual clubs and activities within those clubs decreases.”
At present, the SGA’s portion of the fee totals $100.55. If the fee were to be raised, however, the total would become $138.70.
Many students have opposed this increase due to the already expensive tuition bill.
“I completely understand the argument,” said Drake. “It is a valid concern, but I look at it in the way that all the money is actually going back to the students.”
While he proposed and is in support of the fee’s increase, Drake and the SGA wanted to ensure that their opinions were not the principal deciding factor.
“While Senators and the SGA try to represent the student body as best we can, it’s not always 100 percent accurate. We wanted to have a vote to give everyone a chance, give everyone a say in the matter. We wanted to better represent of the voice of the student body.”
This is the first time that a referendum has ever been held concerning the Student Activities Fee. Previously, small increases had been made without consulting students.
Vice President of Student Activities Mela Dutka is pleased with the new development.
“I support, and the administration as a whole supports, what the SGA has done with the referendum. We see it as a great step in educating as well as engaging the student population in decision making,” she said.
The referendum was held downstairs in Hodson Hall for several days, ending on Nov. 28. Students were given a paper that allowed them to vote “yes” or “no” to the raising of the student activities fee. Of the 1,400 student population, however, less than 200 students voted.
“Two hundred people doesn’t sound like a lot,” said Drake, “but for us it wasn’t so much about the number as the fact that we gave students an opportunity to put their two cents in and let their voice be heard.”
Given the previous opposition, the results were surprising: 135 students voted to raise the fee, while only 49 voted against it.
Now that the vote has been made, the recommendation has been sent to the Board of Visitors and Governors, specifically to the finance committee. This committee is the final authority on any tuition and fee change, and they will make a decision as to whether the raise will be implemented in fall 2012.
According to Dutka, “all indications show they are very receptive to the increase.”
While it appears that the fee is going to be raised, the burden does not lie entirely on the student population.
“The SGA has to be very focused on trying to be more efficient, making sure things don’t slip through the cracks, and refining the budget process,” Drake said. “We want to do what’s best for everyone.”