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Student fee hike proposed
Increase to support strategic fund benefiting all students
By SUE WUETCHER
Reporter Editor
The comprehensive student fee would increase by $30 a semester for full-time undergraduates—raising it to $809.25 beginning with the fall 2006 semester—under a proposal by Dennis Black, vice president for student affairs.
The fee would increase $24.50 for full-time graduate and professional students under the proposal, bringing it to $611.25 for the semester.
The proposed increase would support rising technology costs and services, increased bus-contract and parking-lot maintenance costs, enhanced grants in aid for men's and women's sports, and a strategic investment fund for improving the campus experience.
It also would support a portion of state-mandated negotiated salary and benefit increases and minimum wage increases not provided for in the university's base budget and required operating contractual increases.
Fees would continue to be prorated on a credit-hour basis for part-time students and the current waiver policy will be maintained. Individual student government mandatory activity fees would continue to be assessed in addition to the comprehensive fee.
The proposed per-semester increases include $.75 for technology, $1.50 for transportation, $3 for health services, $5.50 for intercollegiate athletics—assessed to undergraduates only—and $19.25 for campus life.
"To continue to offer the programs and services UB students need and expect in the current state, SUNY and UB budget climate, increases in the comprehensive fee have been proposed at a rate equivalent to the Higher Education Price Index (a national index of annual education costs)," about 3.5 percent, said Black.
The fee increase for technology would provide funds to address some of the increased costs for the acquisition of needed electronic materials in the University Libraries.
The transportation increase would be used to address the projected 2 percent increase in the current bus contract, as well as the increased cost of maintaining campus parking lots.
The intercollegiate athletics increase would be used to support inflationary costs associated with grants-in-aid and team travel, and increased student-payroll costs.
The bulk of the campus life increase would be used to create a fund for strategic investment in student initiatives identified through the UB 2020 strategic planning process. These areas, which impact the entire student body, include disability accommodations, victim assistance, suicide prevention, alcohol awareness and student research and civic-engagement programs.
The health services increase would support the increased demand for student wellness services.
Black noted that the final comprehensive fee recommendations for 2006-07 will be made after student consultation before the end of the semester. Students may comment via email at compfee@vpsa.buffalo.edu through April 21.
Representatives from the areas supported by student fees will answer questions posed through the comprehensive fee Web site at http://www.ub-judiciary.buffalo.edu/compfee.shtml and through a comprehensive fee listserv to be held through April 21.
In addition, an assessment of student fee interests and concerns will be conducted via the My Opinion survey that can be accessed through MyUB. The results will be shared via the comprehensive fee Web site.
More information on the comprehensive fees, the proposed increases and the waiver process is available at http:// www.ub-judiciary.buffalo.edu/compfee.shtml
Comprehensive fee adjustments, if adopted, will be reflected in student account statements distributed to all returning and new students in mid-July, Black said.
"UB desires to remain as one of the nation's best buys in higher education and will continue to be a major public university and the premier public institution in the Northeast with continued student support," he said.