Friday, November 30, 2001

SGA fees will not increase
By Kristin Delorantis
Staff Reporter

The House of Student Representatives will not raise fees for incoming students and subsequent classes as a result of the online referendum voted on by only 105 members of the student body Thursday, Student Government Association President Brian Wood said.

However, the House will change the SGA Constitution to allot 55 percent of the SGA budget to the Programming Council, 34 percent to the House and 11 percent to the SGA as a whole as a result of the vote, Wood said. The change will be implemented in January 2002, he said.

The Constitution currently allots 60 percent of the SGA budget to the PC and 40 percent to the House.

Also as a result of the referendum, secretarial duties stated in the Constitution will be altered to require the secretary to be in charge of a communications committee, SGA Secretary Allyson Cross said.

Though only 105 students voted, Cross said the constitutional changes will be made because the SGA has been working under these conditions and the policies need to be documented.

Wood said he was disappointed with the turnout because only 105 students voted.
Only four students voted against changing the Constitution and eight students voted against raising SGA fees for incoming students, he said.

Wood said having 105 students decide whether incoming students would have to pay an additional $5 is unfair, and said he hopes SGA will consider the bill again next semester.

Junior advertising/public relations major Jessica Ridings said she did not vote and the turnout was poor because no one heard about it.

“If there had been more awareness through publicity, there would have been a better turnout, more representative of the student body,” Ridings said.

Wood said SGA promoted the referendum by setting up tables, hanging fliers and having the House members alert their constituents.

“It is the end of the semester and this is such a busy time for everyone,” Wood said. “Everyone is feverishly trying to get things done so the referendum was lost in the process.”

Freshman pre-major Amanda Clayton said an e-mail would have been beneficial to create awareness about the referendum.

Wood said SGA attempted to send out a campus e-mail, but they were not allowed to because administration said e-mail becomes less effective when students are e-mailed too frequently.

Kristin Delorantis
k.a.delorantis@student.tcu.edu