The student activity fee was shot down last night with 56.6 percent of student voters opposing the $15 per semester charge.

More than 3,000 voted in the special election held over the past three days.

After the results were announced last night, student leaders said there should have been more time to educate students about the vote.

The Associated Students of the University of Arizona Senate approved the activity fee referendum March 31, and the special election began on Monday, giving fee organizers only a few days to market the fee. [Read article]

ASUA VP, student object to activity fee election process

The legitimacy of the special election for the $30 per year student activity fee came under fire yesterday from an elected ASUA official and a student who said he plans to appeal the election. [Read article]

Fliers for the $30 per year student activity fee advertising that funding would support Greek Week, an exclusively greek event, are misleading, officials in Greek Life said yesterday.

Eighty percent of the estimated $1.2 million to $1.4 million generated by the fee would be used to bring concerts and speakers to campus, while 15 percent would go toward general distribution to campus organizations. The remaining 5 percent is expected to be refunded. [Read article]

As voting began yesterday on a student fee referendum, some of the people managing polling booths on campus were the same students who have spent recent weeks lobbying for the fee's passage.

However, of about 10 voters questioned during a half hour near student union polling places, only two said the fee supporters' presence unnerved them, and student government officials defended the poll workers' objectivity. [Read article]

ASUA claims funding allocation reflects will of the student body

Leaders of minority groups say they are worried about the distribution of activity fee revenue because most of the money will go toward mainstream entertainment.

Eighty percent of the money generated from the proposed $30 fee would go toward entertainment on campus, but minority club leaders said more should be used for cultural programming and other events. [Read article]

If students pass the proposed $30 per year student activity fee this week, fee organizers still have to fight time constraints and overcome logistical hurdles before it can be finalized.

Student leaders, who are waiting for election results to come in before making any concrete plans, have yet to develop a timeline for how the fee would be implemented. [Read article]

Presidents of clubs and organizations, who activity fee supporters say would benefit from the funding, said they stand against the fee because they don't believe they'll ever see the money.

According to members of the Collaboration Board, clubs and organizations could benefit from the $15 per semester fee because 15 percent of the funds would be allocated to clubs that want to put on events that would benefit the student body. [Read article]

Student leaders defended their decision to put the $30 per year activity fee on the ballot today, just five days after ASUA Senate approval, saying students don't need to know details of the fee to make an educated decision.

"A student will generally be in favor or not in favor initially. Students aren't going to need days and days to figure this out," said J.P. Benedict, president of the Associated Students of the University of Arizona. [Read article]

Regents have final say on proposed activity fee

Even if students vote in favor of the activity fee that appears on a special elections ballot in three days, it needs the approval of the Arizona Board of Regents. [Read article]

Student leaders who back the $30 per year activity fee have yet to discuss logistics with the Bursar's Office and the Budget Office, a fact that administrators say might cause problems if students and regents approve the fee.

Dick Roberts, budget director, said before the fee can be executed, a proper network must be set up to regulate where the money goes, as with any university revenue. [Read article]

A $30 activity fee that would generate $1.2 million to $1.4 million for concerts and other events will be up for a student vote Monday.

After delaying the vote last month to work out the fee's details, Associated Students of the University of Arizona senators approved the student activity fee referendum by a vote of 9-0. One senator was not present to vote. [Read article]

After a monthlong delay, the $15 student activity fee will be presented to the ASUA Senate tonight to determine whether a special election will be held for the measure.

The fee, which would bring big-name concerts and speakers to campus, was originally to appear on the general election ballot March 3 and 4, but was delayed after Associated Students of the University of Arizona leaders criticized its inadequate structure. [Read article]