Student Fee Resolution

Student Fee Resolution

RESOLUTION TO DIRECT FURTHER ACTION REGARDING STUDENT FEES AT THE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISVILLE

WHEREAS, the Mandatory Student Fees that are part of the Bundled Tuition and Fees, specifically the Student Activity Fee ($15/1983), Student Services Fee ($75/1998), University Facility Fee ($15/1999), Student Athletics Fee ($50/2007), and Student Health Fee ($35/2007), have not had a formal review by SGA since at least 2007; and

WHEREAS, University Fees (which include the Foreign Student Services Fee; School Fees comprised of Meal Plans, the Student Recreation Fee, and specific degree program fees such as the new Education and Human Development Teacher Education Fee (TEAD); Course Fees that range from biology lab fees to theater arts and studio fees; Health Fees; and Bursar Fees) continue to increase in amount (a new Bursar Fee effective Spring 2015 will increase the late payment fee for tuition from $50 to $100) and applicability (a new Arts and Sciences Classroom Fee was recently proposed to the Tuition Committee); and

WHEREAS, students have expressed concerns about the growing culture by administrators and faculty to implement and/or increase student fees to finance services traditionally covered by tuition; and

WHEREAS, students have expressed concerns about the lack of transparency regarding the decisions, current standing and consequences of certain fees such as the Student Athletics fee which was enacted, according to the University of Louisville Website, in order “To help provide a structurally balanced budget for the Athletics Association, the Board of Trustees, at its May 24, 2002 meeting, approved a $25 increase to tuition. Included in the board action was a four year phase-in schedule from $25 to $50, beginning with the fall semester, 2002. As part of these discussions, the University agreed to consider student requests for extended library hours, promotion of additional university spirit programs, and provision of additional student tickets for basketball games. The Student Athletics Fee was re-authorized by the Board on February 21, 2007.”

WHEREAS, students have expressed concerns that student representatives are asked to meet with, brainstorm, and possibly negotiate with university administrators about tuition and fees behind closed doors, at times, after signing a non-disclosure agreement when, in various circumstances, that representative may not send a proxy in case of schedule conflicts; and

WHEREAS, the typical University of Louisville student’s payment of hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars in fees each year multiplied by a student body of over 20,000 students means these fees add up to millions of dollars in student fees paid by students each year;

WHEREAS, it is the Student Senate’s sincere belief that the Senate must advocate for both the students’ right to honest, current information about the fees they are paying as well as their right to fair, informed, and transparent representation;

NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Student Senate of the University of Louisville commends past student representatives and administrators for their valuable work in negotiating the aforementioned student fees in good faith; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Student Senate of the University of Louisville compels the Executive Board, by designating various agents of inquiry, to launch a formal inquiry into all extant student fees in order to provide historical and current information about these fees as well as information of possible fees in the future, ultimately compiling the findings into a publicly published Student Fee Report; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Student Senate of the University of Louisville compels the Executive Board and all Senators to engage in discussions with students and administrators about these fees with the intention of discovering common concerns and ideas for present and future negotiations and report them to the Executive Board so that these findings will be included in the Student Fee Report; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Student Senate of the University of Louisville shall draft new policy regarding student representation in all matters concerning tuition and fees including: 1) a policy that all inquiries pertaining to student support of fees that effect all students may only be answered with a formal vote of the Student Senate, inquiries pertaining to student support of fees that effect a specific program may only be answered with a formal vote of that programs student council or, if the council wishes for more support, a formal vote of the Student Senate so that decisions made by student representatives who have signed a non-disclosure agreement may not be unilateral, 2) a policy that requires student representatives to report back any decisions or substantive conversations about tuition and student fees that occur in meetings that are able to be disclosed, 3) a formal request to the university administration to amend student representation policies regarding tuition and fee committees so as to allow for proxies where none are currently allowed, and 4) an accountability process for the rare instance of misrepresentation.

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that the Student Senate compels the Executive Board to complete a preliminary report by 4/7/15 and a full report by 11/01/15.