Donations Without Representation

It looks like the Undergraduate Council just might decide to dig a little deeper into students' pockets next year--50 percent deeper, to be exact. The council will soon consider hiking students' term bill fees from $20 to $30.

Council members have discussed the fee raise during a joint meeting of the Committee on College Life and the Committee on House Life and plan to present the proposal for a vote before the entire council this coming Sunday. The sponsors of the proposal have projected that the council budget would be boosted to $180,000--a $60,000 increase.

Certain representative believe that the increase makes clear sense. Council fees have only been increase once in the council's 12-year history. And, as John Mann '92-'94, a member of the council's reevaluation committee has noted, the fee hike would be 'barely keeping up with inflation."

Nonetheless, the council has not been desperate for cash. The rollover of council funds which were not spent last year amounted to more than $20,000, according to council Treasurer Jamila A. Braswell '95. And just this past Sunday, the council voted to keep all year end rollover money instead of distributing it to the houses.

We must wonder what the council is thinking. When representatives cannot successfully plan and organize enough events to utilize the present revenue from student fees, there is no legitimate reason to increase those fees.

And if the council foresees a much expanded role in students' lives, perhaps members should listen to their constituents' present confidence in their abilities. If anything, a downsizing of the council would be in order.

In addition to the fee hike proposal, members evidently hope to make it harder for students to reclaim their fees. This year, approximately 16 percent of undergraduates waived $16.67 of their $20 fee by checking the option on their term bill. To receive the ramaining $3.33, students must write an explicit letter to the dean of students.

Council members evidently don't appreciate this control that students have over their own money. Representatives have admitted that they are currently considering a system which would only allow fee refunds by writing individual letters to the dean.

So, in effect, the council is proposing to raise student fees and make it more difficult for students to reclaim those fees.

This is certainly peculiar behavior for student representatives. Their consideration of a fee increase evidently reflects pervasive student demand to give more money to the council. Yet, considering how to make the refund procedure more difficult seems to indicate a fear that many more students will attempt to raclaim their fees. Perhaps the council is devising a noble plan to save us from our worst pecuniary instincts.

Fortunately, however, the proposal ultimately depends on approval by the full faculty. And Dean of the College L. Fred Jewett '57 does not foresee a rubber stamp. "There will be a lot of debate for a term bill increase," Jewett has said.

We certainly hope so. Perhaps if the proposal is passed by the council, the faculty can fulfill the council's duties to represent students' interests.