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The Campus Fee Advisory
Committee at California State University, Fresno has approved a ballot
initiative for students to vote on that proposes an increase to the
Instructionally Related Activity fee benefiting both academics and
athletics.
The referendum, which will go to a student vote April 8-10, would mean a
$70 per semester increase, dedicating $20 to Instructionally Related
Activity (IRA) project funding and $50 to support the campus
intercollegiate athletics program.
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.
The $20 fee increase for more instructionally related activities would
allow more students to experience more outside of class activities such
as field trips, art exhibits, professional conferences and international
study tours.
The Student Senate voted Thursday to endorse the initiative.
In a memo to the Campus Fee Advisory Committee, Athletics Director
Thomas Boeh explained that the revenue derived from the proposed $50
increase for athletics would directly support student-athlete services,
academic resource allocations, equipment, recruiting, supplies,
information technology and team travel. The additional revenue –
estimated at $2 million per year – would help the athletics program
initiate women’s lacrosse and reinstate women’s swimming and diving in
the 2008-09 academic year.
In a notice to students about the referendum, it was noted that the cost
of operating a Division I athletics program has increased significantly
over the past decade, exceeding revenue available to support it. Boeh
has stated that maintaining the competitive, equitable and quality
programs that Fresno State expects requires an additional investment in
all athletic funding sources through increased ticket revenue,
fundraising and student fees.
At Fresno State’s peer institutions average student fees for athletics
are considerably higher than at Fresno State. A report earlier this year
from the President’s Commission on Athletics Finances found the average
at the comparison institutions is $59 per semester compared to the $7
per semester at Fresno State that is part of the Student Body Fee.
At Fresno State, student fees account for 1 percent of the athletics
budget. By comparison, student fees at some of the comparable schools
are: Boise State, 13 percent; San Diego State, 21 percent; San Jose
State, 35 percent; Sacramento State, 45 percent; and Cal Poly, 55
percent.
Also, Fresno State has the fourth-lowest campus fees in the California
State University system ($527 per year vs. an average of $749 in CSU).
Campus fee proposals are sent to the Campus Fee Advisory Committee,
which weighs the results from a referendum and forwards a recommendation
to President Dr. John D. Welty for a final decision.
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