The Campus Fee Advisory Committee at California State University, Fresno approved on Wednesday two student fee increase recommendations – totaling $52 – which will be forwarded to the president.
The recommendations call for an increase in the Instructionally Related Activity (IRA) fee: one calling for a $20 increase per semester for educational activities; the second calling for a $32 increase to support campus intercollegiate athletics.
The vote came after an hour-long open forum at which students and faculty members expressed views both favoring and opposing fee hikes.
Currently, the IRA fee is $10 a semester, which funds educational activities, field trips and other learning experiences sponsored by an academic program, discipline or department related to instructional offerings. Students contribute $7 per semester from their Student Body Fee to athletics.
The committee’s recommendations will be sent to President John D. Welty, who will make the final decision on any fee increase.
The committee’s charge was to review the results of a non-binding referendum April 8-10 in which students opposed a $70 per semester IRA increase that called for $20 to be dedicated to project funding and $50 for athletics. Students disapproved of the proposal by a 777-412 vote. The fee advisory committee also voted not to support that proposal.
Approximately 5 percent of the university’s 22,000-plus students voted in the election, which also decided student body officer positions.
Dr. Paul Oliaro, vice president for Student Affairs and committee chair, said he would draft a memo on the recommendation and send it as soon as possible to the president. No timeline for Welty’s decision has been determined.
