GPSF Backs Student Activity Fee Hike

The Graduate and Professional Student Federation unanimously passed a resolution Tuesday that supports a referendum by Student Congress to increase the student activity fee.

Student Congress' referendum, which passed Oct. 29, proposes increasing the student activity fee to $19.50 per semester for all students. Since 1984, there have been separate fees for graduate and undergraduate students, with the former paying $9.50 and the latter $11.50 per semester.

GPSF officials said if the fee had increased with inflation, the respective fees now would be $16.51 and $19.63.

Dan Herman, GPSF Senate president, said that given the increase in the number of student organizations, the fee increase is long overdue.

"Twenty years ago, there were 150 organizations, and there are over 300 now," Herman said. "And that's not even speaking about inflation."

Herman also explained why the proposed fee still was lower than the 1984 equivalent with inflation.

"They looked at the increase in inflation, but given the current climate with tuition increases, the undergraduates have been reluctant about OK'ing more money, so (Tony Larson, former speaker of Student Congress) decided to go for a lower amount," he said.

But the resolution passed by GPSF perhaps inadvertently recommended a lower increased fee of $16.50 per semester, which was recommended during last year's failed attempt by Student Congress to increase the fee in a special election.

Herman, who also is a member of Student Congress, said he will look into the discrepancy but suggested that it might be a typo.

He added that even if there is an error, GPSF will not necessarily take a revote on the resolution.

"We might revote, but the GPSF Senate doesn't enact much legislation. Our function is mostly for communication purposes," he said. "I don't think the $3 difference is germane to the resolution. The point is to mobilize the graduate and professional student vote."

Twenty-five percent of the student activity fee paid by graduate and professional students will continue to go to GPSF, regardless of the outcome of the vote.

Herman said that the decline in UNC's budget has put the squeeze on departments, forcing organizations to come to GPSF and Student Congress for funding.

"The amounts we've been giving have been unfortunately low," Herman said. "There have been a lot of requests we've hedged our bets on. The money is just not there."

This year's referendum to increase student activity fees will be voted in February's general election.

The original referendum by Student Congress was a part of a special election last April but did not pass because too few ballots were cast.

The University Editor can be reached at udesk@unc.edu.