Students can tell the administration how they feel about possible fee increases for four cash-strapped departments and services on March 2 and 3.

SF State President Robert Corrigan and California State University Chancellor are expected to make their decisions about the increases by taking into account the opinions of whoever votes. This could mean that a small amount of students could make the decision for thousands of their classmates.

Campus-based fees could jump $138 a semester if all the fee increases -- requested by Academic Affairs, athletics, the Career Center and Student Health Services -- are approved.

While SF State students have a chance to voice their opinion, their final vote will be a nonbinding advisory vote, according to interim Public Affairs Director Christina Holmes.

“If students approve the fees, it does not mean that those fees will immediately go into effect. Rather, President Corrigan and CSU Chancellor Reed will weigh the opinions heavily and see if they should go ahead with the student fee increases,” Holmes said.

While students do not have the final say on the measures to be implemented, the administration would almost surely follow student opinion, Holmes said.

The university does not have a figure on how many people it expects to vote on the referendums, but it will go with the results no matter the turnout. "It doesn't matter if 20 or 20,000 students vote over the next two days, we will still regard the opinions voiced as being valid," Holmes said.

Polling booths, which will be open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., will be located in six locations on campus: Cesar Chavez Student Center Lobby, the corner of 19th and Holloway avenues (tent), the southern corner of the Business building (tent), Mary Park Hall Lounge, Centennial Walkway (the roadway between Humanities and Burk Hall, tent), and the pathway between Science and Thornton Hall (tent).

Voters will be asked four questions that are broken into two sections, one for new fees and the other regarding existing fees.

The first question will affect Academic Affairs and asks for an academic instruction and services student fee to be established at $75 per semester, prorated to $35 during summer semester, effective Fall 2004.

The second question will focus on the Career Center and asks for a new student fee to be established at $14 per semester. The fee would then increase by $1 per semester over the next four years, capping at $16 in the semester 2008-09. If the proposal fails then the student center may be closed and force SF State students to compete for jobs with students from universities that have that added level of support from a Career Center.

The third item on the ballot will affect athletics and recreation, which encompasses all teams and intramural sports. The proposal asks that the campus-based Instructional Related Activities (IRA) fee be increased by $33 per semester, effective Fall 2004. This increase would be adjusted annually by $2 per semester from 2005-06 thru 2007-08 and by $1 in 2008-09; capping at $40 in 2008-09.

The final question to be asked on the referendum is to increase the current student health services fee by $16 per semester, effective Fall 2004. The increase would be adjusted annually by $3 per semester until 2008-9, when it would be capped at $28.

If approved, the student fee increase would cover the Counseling and Psychological Services Center budget. The Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) had been recently merged because of budget cuts, and a denial in fee increases would almost surely mean the elimination of the services. This reduction in medical and counseling services would impact 10,000 SF State students with no health insurance.

» E-mail Matias Cavallin @ matizi2000@yahoo.com
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