IRA fee approved
A.S. has officially endorsed the new Instructional Related Activities fee that would raise student tuition by $80 a semester to comply with Title IV requirements. The decision came after an hour-long blistering debate that included comments from skeptics and supporters in the gallery.
International Student Association representative Dea Roesdha admonished her fellow council members to keep the discussion civil and respectful. Several council members said not enough information on the IRA fee was available and more time was needed to study it. College of Arts and Letters representative Ignacio Prado responded by saying council members had two weeks, which is more than enough time to inform themselves about the issue. Professional Studies and Fine Arts representative Ronni Leonard said the fee increase was important for promoting Aztec pride.
A central question of the debate was whether or not enough students were informed about the fee. Another council member said this was the wrong time for a fee increase because of the nation’s financial woes.
Senior accounting major Gagandeep Singh wanted to know exactly where all the money would go.
“What I do have a problem with is that there is not enough transparency, transparency in the numbers,” Singh said. “The facts are not being made available to all of us. I’m hearing an extremely biased opinion of this.”
Executives said detailed facts have been made available but also admitted that some financial details would only be cemented after the fee was implemented.
Meaghan Poland of the water polo team spoke in favor of the IRA fee.
“It’s really not just about the athletes,” Poland said. “ I just think it is really going to keep our spirit and our college life really good. Tier one is a big thing.”
Associate vice president of Business and Financial Affairs Scott Burns said that, at the time of the meeting, 18 IRA presentations had been made to students. Of the students surveyed during the presentations, 139 were in favor of the fee and 121 were opposed to it. Fifty-one students abstained from voting.
Even with an A.S. endorsement, the final decision to pass the fee increase rests with President Stephen L. Weber. On the A.S. Council, 21 voted for the fee increase and 17 voted against it while four people abstained from voting.
Halloween fun
Halloween came early for Associated Students last week.
Council members dressed in costumes ranging from Nurse Betty to Mickey Mouse. The executives planned both tricks and treats for their audience. A half-naked Spartan waving a sword interrupted the public comments by shouting “Sparta will rise again!” Vice President of Finance Grant Garske and Vice President of University Affairs Tim Velasquez masqueraded as 7-foot-tall basketball players on stilts. Velasquez, in a fake accent, joked that “The good neighbor program will now be called the great neighbor program.”
Homecoming recap
This year’s jungle-themed homecoming week is being touted as a wild success Homecoming Chair Michael Zamudio said. The event more than lived up to its goal of being “bigger and better.” Zamudio said Cultural Arts and Special Events enacted a publicity blitz to get Greeks, alumni, faculty and university departments involved.
Other points of discussion
A.S. Executives will be undergoing the 360 feedback survey process, in which they will be reviewed by anonymous council members and receive constructive criticism.
Weber has approved a new minor in lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender studies. The minor will be an interdisciplinary program. Vice President of External Affairs
Daniel Osztreicher announced more than 5,000 new voters have been signed up for the election tomorrow.
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