Woodard, Senate differ over size of fee increase

Student Association President Omar Woodard is at odds with the Senate over the size of a suggested SA fee increase.

Woodard said at Tuesday night’s Senate meeting that he supported a measure that would allow students to vote in a spring referendum on whether to raise the student per-credit fee by 50 cents.

The increase would grant 20 cents per credit to the SA and 10 cents each to the Program Board, Class Council and WRGW.

Currently, students pay a $1 per credit hour fee that goes to the SA, which has a $471,000 budget. The fee increase, if approved, would add $90,000 to the SA budget, Woodard said. Financing Program Board, Class Council and WRGW through the increase would also free up more money for the Senate, which currently allocates funds to the groups.

Woodard said he hopes to work with the three benefiting groups to put a referendum before students in the spring. While no legislation was offered, all three groups and Woodard spoke in favor of the referendum.

But most senators at the meeting were in favor of plans for a referendum calling for a $1 increase.

Their proposal, which is being held up in the Rules and Finance committees, was introduced by Kyle Spector (ESIA-U), who said he would not support a 50-cent increase.

“I am hesitant this referendum would take power away from the SA,” said Spector, who is also an assistant production manager at The Hatchet. “In future years, what if one of these organizations is not doing their job and this money could be better spent on other student organizations?”

Woodard said a $1-increase is too extreme and is not likely to garner student support. Last year, students rejected a $1 per-credit increase by a 100-vote margin.

-Brandon Butler