On Tuesday, the Campus Fee Advisory Committee made their recommendation to President John D. Welty: a $52 increase, with $20 going toward the IRA fee and $32 going toward athletics, down from the original $70 increase the student body voted on several weeks ago. We at The Collegian asked each other, with the competing recommendations from the student body and from the committee, what should Welty ultimately do about the fee increase proposal?
“I think he should reject the current recommendations from both the student body and from the Campus Fee Advisory Committee and rewrite two separate referenda so that students and the committee can vote for the fee increases separately, not this semester, but as soon as possible.â€Â
—Jessica Szalay, Editor in Chief
“I think he’s going to accept the recommendation, but I don’t know if it’s a good move. I feel better about the increase now that the increase is split with $32 for athletics and $20 for the IRA. If they absolutely need that money to keep athletic programs running, then I guess we can pay for it, but I wish they’d try to find that money elsewhere.â€Â
—Joanne Lui, News Editor
“I think he needs to listen to students when they voice their concerns. Students are on a tight budget and because of the proposed budget cuts at the state level, tuition is likely going up. The school needs to look at its priorities — are academics more important than athletics?â€Â
—Megan Bakker, News Reporter
“I think he should stick with the decision the students made. He doesn’t need any more controversy. It’s still an unfair split. I would have had the fees separated.â€Â
—Megan Reilly, Features Editor
“Welty should honor the students’ vote. I feel it would be career suicide. The IRA isn’t supposed to be related to athletics anyway. The only way I would go along with it is if it were a smaller increase and a more even split, like $15 for athletics and $15 for the IRA.â€Â
—Brandon Santiago, Features Reporter
“I wish we had been able to vote on the two increases separately. I think if Welty proceeds with the recommendation to raise fees, the increase should be lower than the recommendation of the committee, and the issue of a larger fee increase should be presented before students again next year, with the two fees separated.â€Â
—Mathew Gomes, Opinion Editor
“I think that because it’s a closer split, the current recommendation is more acceptable. I wish it had better presentation. If they had emphasized that the money would be going toward women’s sports, I think students would have even more willing to support it, since that’s the rationale I’ve heard given. It’s ironic that the selfish move for Welty would be to listen to the student body’s decision.â€Â
—Benjamin Baxter, Opinion Columnist
“I think he should sign the recommendation because it’s less than the original proposal, which should make students happy. They haven’t had to pay much in the past.â€Â
—Kim Anderson, Sports Editor
“I think he should sign the fee committee’s recommendation. I think it’s good for athletics, since they get very little money from the student body relative to other schools in the CSU system.â€Â
—Kyle Lazarus, Sports Reporter
Lamont Sanford • Apr 29, 2008 at 1:09 pm
Rediculous opinions posted here. Students voted a resounding ‘NO.’ And the proposed money to athletics was not significantly reduced when sent to committee. At least equal the IRA and money to proposed sports funding—-20/20 or 15/15. why is John Welty still presiding over his position? I don’t give a damn about women’s lacrosse anyway. And they ask us to increase our tuition rates after bumping us over to those awful endzone football seats? And our men’s hoops student seats are just as bad……….Honor the student vote.
Lamont Sanford • Apr 29, 2008 at 8:09 pm
Rediculous opinions posted here. Students voted a resounding ‘NO.’ And the proposed money to athletics was not significantly reduced when sent to committee. At least equal the IRA and money to proposed sports funding—-20/20 or 15/15. why is John Welty still presiding over his position? I don’t give a damn about women’s lacrosse anyway. And they ask us to increase our tuition rates after bumping us over to those awful endzone football seats? And our men’s hoops student seats are just as bad……….Honor the student vote.
Lamont Sanford • Apr 29, 2008 at 8:09 pm
Rediculous opinions posted here. Students voted a resounding ‘NO.’ And the proposed money to athletics was not significantly reduced when sent to committee. At least equal the IRA and money to proposed sports funding—-20/20 or 15/15. why is John Welty still presiding over his position? I don’t give a damn about women’s lacrosse anyway. And they ask us to increase our tuition rates after bumping us over to those awful endzone football seats? And our men’s hoops student seats are just as bad……….Honor the student vote.
Kristen Johnson • Apr 28, 2008 at 7:18 am
I never speak about things like this usually but I am against the whole IRA referendum in the first place. I am a poor college student I can’t afford to pay for activities or atheletics that I do not have time to attend. Also being a graduate student next semester fees for me will go up and they may increase more so with the potenital budget cuts in the fall semester. So I think with the potential budget cuts, most college students being poor and not living on campus, that the IRA referendum is just a bad idea in the first place. Also if the people who voted against the referendum did not want it in the first place then their voices should be heard and Fresno State should come up with another way to support athletics or activities.
Kristen Johnson • Apr 28, 2008 at 2:18 pm
I never speak about things like this usually but I am against the whole IRA referendum in the first place. I am a poor college student I can’t afford to pay for activities or atheletics that I do not have time to attend. Also being a graduate student next semester fees for me will go up and they may increase more so with the potenital budget cuts in the fall semester. So I think with the potential budget cuts, most college students being poor and not living on campus, that the IRA referendum is just a bad idea in the first place. Also if the people who voted against the referendum did not want it in the first place then their voices should be heard and Fresno State should come up with another way to support athletics or activities.
Kristen Johnson • Apr 28, 2008 at 2:18 pm
I never speak about things like this usually but I am against the whole IRA referendum in the first place. I am a poor college student I can’t afford to pay for activities or atheletics that I do not have time to attend. Also being a graduate student next semester fees for me will go up and they may increase more so with the potenital budget cuts in the fall semester. So I think with the potential budget cuts, most college students being poor and not living on campus, that the IRA referendum is just a bad idea in the first place. Also if the people who voted against the referendum did not want it in the first place then their voices should be heard and Fresno State should come up with another way to support athletics or activities.