Each semester SUU students are required to pay tuition. Along with that tuition, students pay what is called a student fee. Have you ever wondered what a student fee consists of and where that money goes?
Every year, a student fee committee is formed. The committee consists of a variety of representatives throughout campus. This years committee consists of:
- Dean of Students (co-chair) Jason Ramirez,
- President of SUUSA (co-chair) Hayden Carroll,
- Director of Student Involvement and Leadership Keri Mecham,
- Executive Assistant to V.P of Affairs Heather Holmes,
- Financial Rep. from Budget Office Zach Murray,
- V.P. of Clubs Jon Baker,
- Athletic Rep. Whitney Johnson,
- Housing and Residence Life Rep. Caleb Paulson,
- Center for Diversity and Inclusion Rep. Sunni Sims,
- International Affairs Rep. Jonas Lungstrass,
- Non-traditional Rep. Sasha Hardman,
- United Greek Council Rep. Payton Yerke,
- Keith Mason and Grace Schulz, senators at large.
The purpose of the Student Fee Review Committee is to evaluate how organizations spent their portion of the student fee and assess how much money they should receive for the upcoming year.
The student fee for the 2017-18 academic school year is $378.75. That money is divided among 16 organizations.
This year the student fees were given out as followed:
- Athletics for $103.00,
- Building – Sharwan Smith Student Center for $146.00,
- Southern Utah Museum of Art (SUMA) for $15.00,
- Campus Recreation for $5.00,
- Civic Engagement (Michael O. Leavitt Center for Politics and Public Service) for $1.00,
- Community Engagement Center for $4.75,
- Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) for $20.00,
- Music for $3.25,
- Sharwan Smith Student Center Activity Fee for $5.25,
- Southern Utah University Student Association (SUUSA) $24.50,
- Student ID (T-Card) $1.50,
- Student Technology for $32.00,
- SUU Outdoors for $8.00,
- The University Journal for $5.50,
- Theatre Arts and Dance for $4.00
Each of these organizations has to submit a request every year to renew their student fee request while other organizations are allowed to submit a student fee request.
As of right now, none of the current organizations are asking for an increase in student fees. Although, it is important to note, that with the split in SUUSA this past semester. SUUSA will not be receiving $24.50. Instead, SUUSA will receive $10.75 and the Student Programming Board with receiving $13.75 for a total of $24.50.
So far, there are two new fee requests, the tutoring center and the marching band. Over the course of the next two meetings, the committee will evaluate all the student fee requests. The maximum amount of increase in the student fee would be $7.00.
The first Student Fee Committee meeting took place on Dec. 8. It was the first of a series of three meetings that will take place over the course of the 2017-18 academic school year.
“This meeting was essentially an orientation for us because a lot of us had never sat on the committee before,” Schulz said. “So we went over the funding policy and looked at the student fee review of last year and what we are going to be to looking at this year.”
At the end of the series of meetings, the committee will write a proposal of what they think the student fee should include and send it to the cabinet, where they can accept or reject the proposal.
The next meeting will be held after Christmas break.
For more on student fees, click here.
Story By
Cassidy Harmon
reporter2@suunews.com
Photo By
Mitchell Quartz
photos@suunews.com
