The ASB Senate approved a new Services and Activities (S&A) budget last Friday, which would raise student fees and provide more funding for programs like intercollegiate athletics, clubs, and student jobs.

ASB VP of Budget Madison Gilbert presented the increase, recommended by the S&A Fees Budget Committee, to the ASB Senate on the May 3; the proposed increase was approved unanimously.

According to the Budget Development Timeline in the presentation, the budget will be presented to the Administrative Review Committee and Dr. David Beyer on May 7, and then to the Board of Trustees on May 21, who may decide to take action.

For each credit taken, students pay a set fee known as the S&A Fee, which is then managed by the S&A Budget Committee. According to the presentation given by Gilbert, this fee pays for things like clubs, events, student job wages, intercollegiate athletics, and Student Life Administration.

The proposed increase would raise the fee each student pays for each credit from $10.81 to $11.06 per credit. The largest benefactors of this raise would be Student Leader Wages, which would see a $12,894 increase, and Intercollegiate Athletics, at $4,624.

“We recommended the increase in fee primarily because of the minimum wage increase,” said Gilbert. “Without the increase, it would have been impossible to fund the mandatory minimum wage increase for our student workers without even more significant cuts to the existing programs that we fund.” She continued, “It was a tough choice, we don’t raise fees lightly, but it was unavoidable.”

Hardest hit by the new budget would be the Student Programs Board, which would see a $9,000 decrease. The Student Programs Board organizes various events and activities on campus, including things like dances, concerts and workshops.

Lindsay Hudson, Advisor to the Student Programs Board, is not worried. “I think it is important to note that every year the interests of the student body evolve,” says Hudson. “Program interests naturally ebb and flow as student groups graduate and new students enroll and get involved at the college.” She clarifies that “in response to the forecasted budget challenges, the Programs Board chose to give some money back so that it could be re-allocated per the recommendation of the S&A fees budget committee. The Programs Board is confident and excited that they have adequate funds to continue to provide quality programming opportunities to the student body in 2019-20.”