Editor:We would like to clarify several items that have been published in The Chronicle over the past few days regarding student fees. Over the course of the past weeks a survey was conducted to gauge student opinion regarding the increase of the fine arts fee from $1 to $6 and the creation of a new fee to subsidize the costs of study abroad programs. The results were very informative and provided the legislative branch, and us, with valuable information to assist us in making a decision regarding student fees. Of the 7,823 students that responded to the survey, 50.8 percent were in support of increasing the fine arts fee and nearly 60 percent were opposed to the creation of a new fee to subsidize study abroad opportunities. Due to these results, we will not establish a study abroad fee. Regarding the fine arts fee, we proposed a resolution to the ASUU Senate and Assembly for approval to increase the fee by $5. The Senate passed the resolution with an 8-7 vote, and the Assembly failed the bill, stating that it was an excessive increase and that it would establish an unwanted precedence of student fee increases for future administrations. With all of this information, we have decided to support an increase in the fine arts fee of $1.50 to assist the college in improving productions and funding student groups. We have tried to carefully evaluate how this may affect each student on this campus and we have tried to make a decision that we feel is reflective of the students’ wants and desires.

Jake KirkhamASUU President

Toby CollettASUU Vice President