Buy/Sell - Students Funding Facilities

[TheBigDA]

At UM right now there is an initiative by the student body to add $3 per credit hour to help fund an expansion to the Turner Center and remodel the Union. Supposedly it will raise around $1.5 million per year.

Good idea/bad idea?

 

[Croomp]

If state did that it could rake in some good cash.

 

[cowbell9]

convictku</p>

 

[graddawg]

These fees are a great way to raise money over time. However, I think schools need to be careful to not exceed a reasonable level per student.

The only thing I don't like about these types of deals is the students that actually approve the measure are usually long gone by the time the fee goes into effect. For example, I voted for a fee to fund a new University Center/Union where I went to grad school, but the fee doesn't kick in until next year.

 

[graddawg]

Isn't there a similar fee for the Sanderson Center? I think there used to be.

 

[Bob Sacamano.sixpack]

We do already pay for the newly renovated union every semester and a utility fee...

 

[topdawg.sixpack]

Before MSU started construction on the Union, they held a referendum asking if students would be willing to pay for a Union Fee. It passed easily, however, getting it passed IHL was not that easy. However, it passed, and I believe that is $30.00 a semester for full-time students, which pays off the Union and goes to Union operations.

Several years back IHL ordered all fees and service charges be folded into tuition, instead of a stand along student activity fee. The fees now go to support the Sanderson Center, student tickets and other events, but the student activity fee was also what supported Music Makers and CAB, and when they got rolled into the tuition, those orginizations were no longer funded. That is when you saw a drop off in the number of concerts and big time bands coming to campus go down.

 

[4suredog]

We also did this for the amphitheater and the shuttle system. Both were funded in the beginning using a similar fee.