The Union Board is asking for another fee increase. They want students to pay an additional $34 on top of the $60 the student body already approved for renovations.
This would bring the cost of the Union renovation fee to $94 per semester. This fee is in addition to a long list of fees students already pay. Fees are a necessary evil because the cost of maintaining a flagship university continues to rise. The state legislature refuses to raise tuition, a process that requires two-thirds of the body to approve and include an increase in funds allotted to TOPS, which could prove to hold a hefty price tag.
Money is what keeps the wheels of the University rolling, and administrators have found another means other than tuition hikes to keep the cash flow steady – fees.
But students should not be seen as bottomless cookie jars. Projects like the Union and the Recreation Center are not necessities but amenities that service every student.
Students should be encouraged to approve fees that will provide a beneficial service to campus and ensure that University spends the money wisely. But it’s up to the University to prove the project is going to meet the needs of the students. The Union Board proposed the initial renovation fee in 2003. The student body found out they would need to pay $60 per semester to fund the $54.6 million project that would renovate the main building, add additional wings and revamp the Union Theater.
Now students are being told an additional $34 per semester is needed to complete the entire project, which began this year. While tragic and unforeseen circumstances such as hurricanes Katrina and Rita have driven the cost of construction, the Union Board must strive to remain as fiscally prudent as possible.
Hurricanes Katrina and Rita not only affected the prices of the Union renovation project but student finances as well. The Union Board needs to prove to students that there are no other means to fund the project, it is a necessary project and they are asking only for what is necessary to complete the renovations.
If the fee increase goes before the student body for a vote, the students will not only be creating a fee for themselves, but for students attending the University for the next 30 years. The Union Board should be up front about the cost of the projects and work diligently to remove any unnecessary spending.
Student money is not an endless fount of funds. Asking to increase the price tag to attend the University should be done so prudently and with great regard for students.
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