Raising the Council's Fee

On Nov. 27, Dean of the College Harry R. Lewis '68 announced that he is planning to proceed with plans to raise unilaterally the portion of each student's term bill that goes to the Undergraduate Council. While this action regrettably does not have the unqualified support of the student body, this fee, payment of which is optional, must be raised in order to provide a substantial level of student-controlled funding for student organizations on campus.

For numerous student groups, particularly ones just getting off the ground, the council is the primary source of financing. Although it is not the only source of student group funding, the council's fund is important because it is the only source entirely controlled by students. This is valuable as a matter of principle--students, through their elected representatives, should be in charge of deciding which groups get what money. But student-controlled funding also insures the greatest diversity of student organization on campus. When a particular group does not qualify for funding from, for example, the Office of the Arts, it can turn to the council for help.

But the $20 term bill fee that funds a plethora of student groups has not been changed since 1983. Because of inflation, the purchasing power of this term bill fund has eroded. Furthermore, incoming class sizes have remained relatively constant while the number of on-campus student groups has rapidly increased. This has meant that money is spread across the campus more thinly than ever. Only raising the term bill fee will enable the council to allocate student group money effectively.

Nevertheless, we are made uneasy by the way in which this goal is being accomplished. Last year, the campus rightly voted to downsize the council but, unfortunately, narrowly rejected a proposed term increase. Although we agree with the underlying intentions of Lewis' decision, we would have preferred that the fee be raised with a larger degree of student acquiescence. In particular, the council should have done more to prove to the rest of the campus that it deserves that extra money--so that a term bill fee increase could have been re-proposed on the ballot in the coming general election.

Lewis has said that he will not press forward with the increase in the face of student outrage. If some students are indeed angry, they can simply opt out of the term bill fee, as they have always been able to do. While this is a valid way for them to express their opinions, it unfortunately deprives worthy student groups of essential funds. We all benefit from the efforts of many student organizations; they deserve more money, not less.