More than 4,000 students signed a club's petition to install solar panels on a UA building, but Eclipse members are not likely to see their proposed student fee on the upcoming Associated Students of the University of Arizona ballot.
Eclipse, which stands for Energy Conservation and Lifestyles Initiative Partnering Students and their Environment, is a nonprofit group working toward the goal of introducing sustainable technologies to the UA campus in the form of solar energy.
They want the students to vote in favor of a $2 fee to help fund solar panels to power one of the buildings on campus.
"It's a $1 fee per semester, but only for one year," said Nicole Sanderson, founder of Eclipse. "This money will provide 10 kilowatts of power per semester, and the fee is refundable and we will encourage students to get their refund."
Even though Eclipse received 10 percent of the UA student population, or 3,700 signatures, they needed to get their proposal on the ballot, so ASUA suggested they rewrite their referendum and spend more time educating the student body before they vote.
"Their referendum is not ready for the ballot," said Sara Birnbaum, executive vice president of ASUA. "The wording is not clearly written."
The UA spent $15 million on electricity last year, according to public records. Eclipse is trying to save that money while saving energy at the same time.
"This is a student collective buying project," said Sanderson, an environmental sciences sophomore. "Students will be able to see the panels, know that they are there, and know that they were a part of providing them to the campus."
ASUA president Alistair Chapman has his reservations about the project.
"I like the project, it is well intentioned and positive," said Chapman, a molecular and cellular biology senior. "But you open up a Pandora's box when it comes to student fees."
The group needs to research the potential cost of a project of this magnitude before taking the next step to initiate a student fee, Chapman said.
If Eclipse chooses to propose a student fee instead of seeking separate funding, their proposal will be voted on in a separate election later this year.
"We want them to have more time to create a better plan for the students," said Birnbaum, a political science junior.
Chapman said ASUA will help Eclipse organize and present their plan, but hopes they find a different source to fund the project because he thinks there are better ways to find funding, like outside sources, than to get students to pay a fee on top of all other tuition costs.
"I am strongly encouraging them to look at different avenues for funding this project," Chapman said. "A student fee is not the way to go."