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Fee committee submits proposal |
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Tuesday, 13 November 2007 |
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Dubberly |
by REBECCA GARDNER
News Reporter
Appalachian State University’s fee committee has submitted its recommendations for the 2008-09 school year.
The committee met on several dates in October and Nov. 7 to hear proposals from a variety of departments for fee increases.
While not all departments requested increases, others requested significant increases.
The fee committee, which is made up of student representatives, as well
as faculty and staff members, made a motion to approve all fees that
have not requested an increase.
Health services, intramurals and student activity fees, technology,
band uniforms, gym, student recreation, debt services and some others
all requested no fee increase. This motion was approved.
There were reasons why some fees requested no increase.
For example, for the health services fee, Financial Manager for the
Student Development Division Bob Fide said, “We have $1.9 million in a
trust fund which is way too high for the fund and we need to use these
trust accounts only for health services.”
Fide said the current $194 fee includes a majority of the services
students may need during their college career, including visits with
nurse practitioners/physical extenders, x-ray physicians, radiologists,
lab work and vaccinations.
“There is just no way we can justify not using this fund balance and we
hope we will carry money over and have a couple of years to make that
increase. We’ve tried to limit our scope of services and we’ve tried to
make it cost effective for our students,” Fide said.
Housing proposed a $150 fee increase, which includes a $50 operating
fee and $100 that will be put away for future construction.
Each time a building is renovated, the plumbing and electrical wires
are re-done, as well. It also requires a $250 fee per student to build
a new building, which is what this fee will help provide.
The food services fee will increase based on meal increases. The low
option and athlete training table options will increase $100. The
standard, high and super options will increase $20 each.
“We are owned by the university. I’m going to need to reduce my fund
balance by $7 million this year and next year I’m going to take a
$300,000 reduction in internal revenue,” Director of Food Services Ron
Dubberly said.
Dubberly said the increase would go toward a reserve fund to be used in case of emergencies such as floods or other disasters.
The food services fee would increase in one of two ways.
“My expenses are up $384,000 [higher] this year than last year and
there are two options to get this revenue. I can either change the
amount students are required to purchase on food options or I can raise
the serving line meal prices,” Dubberly said. “I would prefer to keep
the meal options as low as possible.”
Dubberly is looking to the future in deciding how to make the best out of this fee increase.
“The fee would require that the money comes from the meal options. Over
the next year I will have to spend $500,000 for a new cash register
system because ours is over 13 years old,” Dubberly said. “My goal from
now on is to maintain fund increase and we never make money in the
summer time, but it cuts our losses tremendously.”
Athletics requested a $40 fee increase. The committee unanimously approved this request.
50 percent of
the Kidd Brewer Stadium east side expansion will be paid for by an $18
service fee that would increase seating, restrooms, and other
facilities for students and ticket buyers, according to the proposal.
The annual operating budget would include a $22 fee. The operating
budget would include increases in scholarships for women’s athletic
teams, coaching staff salaries, strength, conditioning, and sports
medicine equipment, completion of the softball stadium retrofit, and
the reduction of fund balance deficit, according to the department.
Plemmons Student Union requested an $8 increase, which the fee
committee approved. The student union fee includes funds for Legends,
the on-campus nightclub.
About 20 percent of this money is in reserves to maintain the fund balance, according to the proposal.
Transportation requested a $2 fee increase. The committee unanimously approved this request.
The fee committee approved a $25 fee increase for book rentals by a 5 to 3 vote.
All approved fee requests will now go to Chancellor Kenneth E. Peacock for approval.
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