Possible fee hike in store for students

By Megan Bakker
The Collegian

Fresno State students will decide whether their fees will increase by $40 when they vote on two proposals during the Associated Students election in April.

The increases come from two proposals for the Instructionally Related Activity fund, which provides students and professors with money for activities like conferences, plays and semesters abroad opportunities. Students already pay $10 a semester toward this fund.

The first proposal is a $30 increase per semester for technology services, including expanding e-mail capability, expanding Help Desk Services, and a computer repair center.

“I have talked to quite a few students about increasing e-mail capacity,” Jeronima Echeverria, Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs, said. “Every cent of that is to go to projects to enhance student’s experience.”

The second proposal, a $10 increase per semester, serves a dual purpose. Five dollars goes to increasing the general IRA fund, and the other five go to establishing a fund just for students studying abroad. Juan Pablo Moncayo, executive vice president of AS, said the IRA only holds $600,000 each semester, but receives over $1 million in requests.

“We can shrink that gap of $400,000,” Moncayo said. “And we can create a subpot of money for students to study abroad.” Currently, study abroad students apply to the general IRA fund.

“You get into a little bit of a gray area,” AS President Jennifer Reimer said. She said it’s the university’s duty to provide technology services, and is “not clear whether these are things students should be paying for.”

“I find a lot of students want that [a study abroad] experience but don’t quite have the money to go,” Echeverria said.

“When you’re asking for $30, you better have a great reason, and I don’t see that reason yet,” Moncayo said.

Associated Students will hold a vote Thursday over its official position on the proposals.

Student reactions, however, are mixed.

Tara Flaming, criminology major said while she is interested in the benefits it would provide, she is hesitant about the amount. “If they want to study abroad, they can pay for it themselves,” she said.
“That’s my food budget for a full two weeks,” Flaming said.

Echeverria said since the governor hasn’t proposed any fee increases for the CSUs, this is a “very good year for students to consider this.”

But students have a slightly different perspective.

“We only want to do it if it’s worthwhile for students,” Moncayo said. “An increase is still an increase.”

Comment on this story in the News forum >>