The big day for the Student Activity Enhancement Fee is almost here. Students will have their chances to vote yes or no on Wednesday.
The Student Activity Enhancement fee is taking 18 current fees and consolidating them into one big fee. There will also be a $60 increase in student fees.
According to SGA advisor Laura Knotts, these fees are so small that it makes it easier to deal with just one fee.
“This would allow the groups currently receiving money to ask for more money than they are currently receiving,” said Knotts. “This is especially good for groups like the Water Ski Team who can use that money to go to Nationals. That event can be more expensive for them some years than other years.”
Fees that are more than $10 will not be included in the consolidation of the 18 fees. Some of the 18 fees are the $5 for theater production, $5 for Intramurals, $1 for student involvement and $1 for student loans.
Knotts said any organization seeking funding will have to put together a detailed budget that focuses on the exact amount of funding they need, what they need it for and why for a student committee.
This budget will also include how much money they have raised on their own and how much they receive in dues to give the committee an understanding of their financial situation. The committee will vote on the budgets on a case-by-case basis.
This committee will be made up of students and will be a standing committee for the University of Louisiana System Board. The chairperson of the committee will be elected by the voting members. The committee will follow the guidelines directly from the UL system policy.
Committee membership will include, but is not limited to, a Chief Business Affairs Officer and Chief Student Affairs officer each of whom will have a voice, but will not vote.
The committee will schedule an annual orientation meeting coordinated by the Chief Business Affairs Officer on appropriate fee use and review the budgetary reporting.
The committee may also file a report recommending whether the SGA senate should take action to initiate the recall referendum process with respect to a student self-assessed fee.
“I am sure that [Wendell] Brumfield, [William] Graves and I will work to make sure that the group of students chosen will be representative of all of our kinds of organizations,” Knotts said. “It will not be an SGA member heavy committee. We want the most diverse group of students possible to make sure we get as many voices heard as possible.”
Senior biology major and SGA Senator Amit Rajkarnikar was confused about what the referendum was trying to achieve. But after he understood it he became supportive of it because of the benefits it provides to the entire student body.
Rajkarnikar said merging fees will make it easier for funds to be allocated because the SGA won’t be dealing with 18 different bank accounts.
Any RSO spirit groups, honor programs, band, and sports teams will have a chance to get more money than they could receive through SGA.
“You have to understand that CAB can only give scholarship money to events that are open to all and SGA can only give up to $500. But some organizations need more than that,” Rajkarnikar said. “The new referendum will provide more possibilities for ULM to get its name out there.”
Rajkarnikar wants students to understand that this is not just about a $60 increase.
“Students will be regretful if they vote no and in the future would need funds to support them or their research or their tour or conference expenses,” Rajkarnikar said.
