Activity Fee increase discussed

In light of the growing number of student organizations and high demands for funding, Student Senate is discussing the possibility of increasing the student activity fee.

"Senate and SFC are currently considering the current level of activity funding and its adequacy in supporting the breadth and depth of student initiative here at Oberlin," senator senior Chapin Benninghoff said.

Becca Barnes, SFC treasurer, said she did not think the student activity fee should be increased even though student organizations always demand more money than SFC can allocate. Barnes said last year student groups requested $750,000, but SFC could only grant $335,000.

"Student organizations overspend a lot and giving them more money will not stop them from overspending," she said. According to Barnes the activity fee, which is $158 a year, was raised last year. The activity fee is paid into a general account which is allocated by SFC to all chartered student organizations that submit budgets.

Senators emphasized that any change would be implemented a long time in the future.

"This does not mean we will be raising the fee. Action on this issue is a long way off, and in between today and then lies a great deal of research and community discussion," Benninghoff said.

Senator junior Bobbie Lopez said, "We have to put it to a referendum. We'll let the student body decide. We represent the student body and our power is from them."

Barnes said any increase of more than three dollars would have to be approved by the Board of Trustees. Any change would also have to be approved by a student referendum.

Associate Dean of Student Life and Services Kenneth Holmes said he thinks an increase in the activity fee would be welcome.

Holmes said even though the Multicultural Resource Center (MRC) budget, which stands at $16,000 a year, is four times what the MRC received two years ago, student groups that serve the same communities are still not satisfied with their budgets.

He said groups like Asian American Alliance (AAA), Oberlin Korean Student Association, Abusua, the Black Student Union and Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgendered Union complain they don't get sufficient funds. AAA, for example, needs $10,000 to host its annual conference, but has received only $6,000 from SFC.

Other student organizations also thought more money would be helpful.

Jed Reinitz, a sophomore and Experimental College (ExCo) Committee member, said ExCo runs about 40 to 50 classes every semester on a budget of about $4,000.

"More money will be helpful, even though we can get by on what we have. ExCo has been running for awhile on this budget and has been quite successful," Reinitz said.

Many students expressed interest in the issue and said they would like to have more information.

Senior Amy Kremen said, "I would like to know if there's been an increase in the number organizations and how long the fee has remained at this level."

Barnes suggested Senators may want to increase the fee to benefit themselves. She said, "I don't know if Senate wants to increase the fee so they can get paid."