A-10 cost ignites student fee debate
Lauryn Klingler
Issue date: 5/1/09 Section: News
The recent student vote conducted on the possible student activities fee increase did not sufficiently portray positive aspects of the change, Steve Watson, director of intercollegiate athletics, said. Watson said the increase needs to be put into action for the athletics department to survive.
In February, St. Bonaventure University began to consider an increase in the student activities fee that would take effect beginning in the fall 2009 semester. The current student activities fee is $865 and has not changed since 2005. The increase would charge students an additional $125, of which $100 would go to athletics, according to a Feb. 27 article in The Bona Venture.
After midterm break, a my.sbu.edu online survey gave students the ability to voice their opinions on the increase by voting yes or no. Students who participated in the online vote voted against the increase.
"This isn't about us trying to build a Taj Mahal or go above or beyond what is necessary," Watson said. "We're trying to survive and we're competing with some great schools and some great athletic programs. We need to be able to fund these programs and that's what this is about."
Sabrina Maddeaux, SGA president, said she didn't find the voting process effective for students.
"I don't think there was enough communication," Maddeaux said. "It was a little rushed and I think had there been more time for athletics to get its side out or us to better communicate to students the benefits, there would have been a better chance of it passing."
Watson said the increase is necessary to accommodate various rising costs in the Atlantic 10 conference.
"What has happened over the course of the last few years is our expenses have gone up significantly and just the cost to compete in the Atlantic 10 has gone up," Watson said. "We've added Charlotte and Saint Louis to the conference and traveling to Charlotte is a little different than traveling to Duquesne. You can't just get on a bus, necessarily. The cost of travel itself has gone up significantly."
In February, St. Bonaventure University began to consider an increase in the student activities fee that would take effect beginning in the fall 2009 semester. The current student activities fee is $865 and has not changed since 2005. The increase would charge students an additional $125, of which $100 would go to athletics, according to a Feb. 27 article in The Bona Venture.
After midterm break, a my.sbu.edu online survey gave students the ability to voice their opinions on the increase by voting yes or no. Students who participated in the online vote voted against the increase.
"This isn't about us trying to build a Taj Mahal or go above or beyond what is necessary," Watson said. "We're trying to survive and we're competing with some great schools and some great athletic programs. We need to be able to fund these programs and that's what this is about."
Sabrina Maddeaux, SGA president, said she didn't find the voting process effective for students.
"I don't think there was enough communication," Maddeaux said. "It was a little rushed and I think had there been more time for athletics to get its side out or us to better communicate to students the benefits, there would have been a better chance of it passing."
Watson said the increase is necessary to accommodate various rising costs in the Atlantic 10 conference.
"What has happened over the course of the last few years is our expenses have gone up significantly and just the cost to compete in the Atlantic 10 has gone up," Watson said. "We've added Charlotte and Saint Louis to the conference and traveling to Charlotte is a little different than traveling to Duquesne. You can't just get on a bus, necessarily. The cost of travel itself has gone up significantly."
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