Curators table fee issue

By Anna Koeppel and Elliot Njus

Published Feb. 1, 2008

The UM system Board of Curators tabled a vote regarding student fee recommendations Thursday after student representative to the board Tony Luetkemeyer informed the board of a discrepancy between student recommendations and administrator recommendations.

According to a previous Maneater report, a document sent to the board’s Finance and Audit Committee recommends that Student Health Center fees at MU increase to $3.66 per student, or about 4.1 percent. The document also states that the Student Fee Review Committee and the Missouri Students Association supports the fee increase.

But an MSA Senate resolution passed Nov. 28 stated SFRC proposed a student fee increase of only $2.32.

Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Cathy Scroggs spoke to the curators at the committee meeting and said the discrepancy was a result of confusion as to whether MSA and SFRC proposed a percent increase or a dollar-amount increase.

“You can read it either way,” she said.

The Student Health Center originally requested a fee increase of $4.02, but SFRC recommended a lower amount because some services the center planned to offer were available elsewhere on campus. Scroggs said she and Student Health Center Director Susan Even would revisit the issue with MSA.

“I think we have an opportunity to go back and see what the student government wants,” Scroggs said.

MSA Senate Speaker Jonathan Mays said the issue could be a turning point for student input on student fees.

“Without student input, all of this will happen again,” Mays said.

Mays said it was a step in the right direction that the board discussed the disagreement between administrators and MSA and increased the communication between the board and students.

Luetkemeyer said including students in the discussion of student fees was a positive resolution.

“I think that the real problem with this was that that information wasn’t getting to the board,” Luetkemeyer said.

MSA President Jim Kelley praised both Luetkemeyer and Scroggs for their actions at the meeting.

“I felt that Tony Luetkemeyer did a great job advocating on our behalf, and I think Dr. Scroggs communicated our position effectively,” Kelley said.

Kelley did not attend Thursday’s committee meetings, but attended an Intercampus Student Council meeting and a reception, and will attend the meeting today.

Kelley said the student fee recommendation process needs to change.

“I think we’ve got a process set up with SFRC and Senate, and I will be interested to see how that plays out,” Kelley said.

Mays said he hopes for a more sensible timeline for recommending student fees that would give students and administrators time to consider the rate of inflation.

“In the short term, I expect some intense discussion over the health fee,” Mays said. “Over the long term, I’m hoping for a new timeline.”

Mays said he would learn more about the board’s actions and then decide the next step.

“I appreciate Dr. Scroggs’ sensitivity to our concern,” Mays said. “We need to see what direction SFRC wants to take with this.”

Mays said he has contacted Graduate Professional Council President Jennifer Holland about working with SFRC to find a consensus on the Student Health Center fee recommendation.

Mays said the board’s actions were encouraging.

“This could be a foundation for change in the way the board works with students,” Mays said.