ASUA plans to put fee in next month's election

Despite survey results that show one in three students would definitely favor a student activity fee, student officials are moving to put the issue on the ballot.

Greg Billings, a Collaboration Board member who is pushing to get the fee on the ballot next month, said an executive summary of the survey showed that 84 percent of the student population would support a $25 per semester fee.

But the number is a cumulative percent of the student population that would definitely and possibly vote in favor of the fee.

Of the total students surveyed, only 34 percent said they would definitely vote in favor of a student activity fee of $25 per semester.

"I think the 34 percent reflected the amount that was totally in support of it, and the cumulative number was people who would generally support the fee," said Billings, who is also the University Activities Board president.

He said it is fair to combine the numbers because the board was only looking for general support of the fee.

But the fee, which will affect the entire student body, will be voted on in elections that are known for low voter turnout.

Last year, only 10 percent of the student body voted on a referendum that would keep the $1 KAMP radio student fee.

Chris Herstam, Arizona Board of Regents president, said he was skeptical of fees passed by a small number of students at a referendum.

In the survey, 32 percent of students said they had voted previously in student referendum of student government elections. That number is roughly the same percent of students who supported the fee.

J.P. Benedict, ASUA president, said the students who vote are students who are also more involved on campus - thus more likely to vote for the fee.

He said what bothered him about the survey was it never asked if this would be a big enough issue for students to come out and vote on it.

He said they will work hard to make sure the whole student body is informed, in order to appeal to those students who may not want a fee but aren't actively involved in voting during the elections.

"All students have a right to vote for or against the student activity fee," he said.

Students will have a chance to learn more about the activity fee at a forum from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. today in the Gallagher Theater of the Student Union Memorial Center.

Benedict also said if it does pass, the fee is refundable for those students who do not feel benefited by the on-campus activities and programs.

Billings said the board plans on asking for a much lower amount then what the survey was questioning students about. The fee could be only $15 to $20 per semester.

But in another question, 48 percent of students responded that they would not be at all in favor of an activity fee. Only 18 percent of the graduate students supported it.

Billings said he did not have the full report when the Collaboration Board decided to go further with the fee, but only the summary of the results, which stated there was enough support for the fee.

If the fee is passed, the board of regents must then approve it in order for the fee to pass.

"Hopefully through the forum we can encourage students to vote," Billings said.

But as of yesterday students said they didn't know about the forum or even the student activity fee.

Cassandra Messina, biology senior, said she would probably not support a fee since she doesn't drive and it would be hard for her to get to any of the activities.

But she said she did not know anything about the forum or the proposed fee.

Armand Navabi, computer science senior, also said he knew nothing about the forum but he would support a fee since the campus needs more activities.