A survey conducted by ASASUD over the last two weeks found that, of those surveyed, two-thirds of Downtown campus students opposed a recently proposed increase to the ASU student fee.
Of those polled, 286 students were against the proposed fee. Seventy-one students, 16.5 percent, were for the fee, and 72 students, 16.7 percent, said they were unsure of the fee. Four hundred twenty-nine students took the four-question ASASUD survey over the three days ASASUD representatives were soliciting responses on Taylor Mall.
The proposal would increase the student fee from its current rate of $25 per semester to $75 per semester for full-time students. This would be an increase of $100 per year, or $3.13 per week.
For part time students, the fee would increase from $12 to $38 per semester, or $1.56 per week. The fee would not affect online students.
Estimates say these increases, when multiplied across ASU’s four campuses, would result in a $6 million revenue for the university.
On Friday, the ASASUD Senate may propose a resolution in support or against this fee. This proposal will be in accordance with what students voted, according to Freshman Senator Daiyaan Colbert, who drafted the survey.
Colbert said that Senate member’s opinions are not involved; the decision is purely based on the numbers.
The Senate’s stance is purely symbolic, Colbert said. The decision rests with the presidents of the campuses to take to the President’s Council on behalf of their constituents.
“Any students that were not able to voice their opinions on this matter should contact their representatives,” ASASUD President Christian Vasquez said in an email.
Erik Manoogian, an education and mathematics sophomore, said he was not in favor of where this money would be going.
“If we are paying this money,” Manoogian said, “we should decide where the money should go to.”
Currently, the allocation of the generated revenue from the fee would go toward four different elements, although this is subject to change. According to the survery, 26 percent, $1.5 million, would be used for the Associated Students of ASU branches funding. Sixteen percent, $1 million, would be given to the Programming and Activities Boards. Eight percent, $500,000, would be used for the Sun Devil Spirit Club. And 50 percent, $3 million, has been designated for intercollegiate athletics improvements.
The new Sun Devil Spirit Club would be focused around boosting attendance at ASU sporting events by joining students and ASU staff in promoting Game Day Initiative.
Jasmine Mora,a criminal justice junior, said she was unsure about the fee because although she has heard about it, she doesn’t know where the money will be going.
In the comment section of the survey, many students mentioned not knowing where this money would be going, said Colbert.
Journalism freshman Shayne Dwyer said he cares about how these fees will affect him in the long run. He said he is OK with the extra money he would have to pay if the long-term effects were beneficial.
Colbert said there are plans to put the results of the survey and the allocation of money on asasud.com.
Contact the reporter at omakinso@asu.edu
