SGA is looking for feedback on fees increases for 2020-21.
The WCU Tuition and Fee Committee is seeking student feedback and opinion on proposed fee increases for the 2020-2021 academic year. The survey opened on Nov. 1 and you have a chance to give your opinion by Nov. 13.
There are proposed increase fees for student activities, Bardo Arts Center and Fine Art Museum, athletics, and book rentals with a total $76 increase per student for an academic year.
The proposal comes just two weeks after WCU announced price increases for meal plans.
“One of our goals this year is to have higher quality data regarding tuition and fees. We changed the survey this year and have had record-breaking participation with over 2,000 responses,” David Rhode, president of the Student Government Association (SGA), said, after the last meeting of the SGA senate, on Monday, Nov. 4. “Asking if I support these increases is a tough question because, in order to grow, we need more funding. However, I want there to be complete transparency with the student fees.” When asked what if the response is overwhelmingly opposing the increases, Rhode said, “The ultimate authority for whether there is a fee increase rests with the board of trustees.”
At the meeting, the senate also discussed One Book selections and other projects for the upcoming year. Alongside Rhode are over 60 other members of SGA who are all taking different approaches to improve the WCU student experience.
David Benoit, the representative liaison, was excited about choosing the statewide theme that SGAs of all 17 universities in the UNC system work on for a year.
“I’m extremely excited to kick off the spring initiative next semester. Last year I had the opportunity to help choose our theme of food and housing insecurity.” Benoit said. “WCU did an event called Canstruction in which we partnered with Homebase to do a competition with teams from the athletic department and student organizations. Each of them collected cans and had to build the best can structure. The next theme will be chosen at the next Association of Student Government session on Nov. 22 on WCU’s campus.
Elections for SGA are taking place in April. “I look forward to being the head of elections committee for this upcoming school year,” Senator Alejandra Gonzalez-Cespedes said. One thing they will be putting a lot of effort into is ensuring smooth transitions between administrations.
Possible One Book selections were “A Long Walk to Water” by Linda Sue Park, “Memory of Water” by Emmi Itaranta, and “The Water Knife” by Paolo Bacigalupi.
