Regents to weigh UNLV fee hikes

Jennifer Knight and Heather Rawlyk

Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2003 | 11:16 a.m.

University system regents are expected to revisit a decision to raise student fees at UNLV $113 a semester to pay for a renovated student union and a new recreation center.

The University and Community College System of Nevada regents, who meet Wednesday and Thursday, want to reconsider their decision to raise the fee because some students and regents are concerned that the hike in fees and tuition would cause hardships.

According to calculations made by Regent Steve Sisolak if regents don't reverse their decision students will see a 54 percent increase over five years in the price of tuition and fees.

"Absolutely, these students don't know what they're getting into," Sisolak said.

A student taking 15 credit hours a semester is now paying $2,556 a semester. With scheduled tuition step increases and the students fees, students will pay $3,922 by 2008, according to Sisolak's calculations.

At a meeting earlier this year, the regents decided to raise the fee starting in January after seeing a poll that said a majority of students approved the plan.

Sisolak asked for the board to reconsider, questioning how the poll was conducted. He also said he wanted to give students in Southern Nevada a chance to address the board.

Regent chairman Stavros Anthony believes the student fees are affordable enough for students and such changes would improve student life on campus.

"We do have some of the lowest tuition in the country," Anthony said. "Coupled with that is the fact that we have a pretty old student services building and a sports complex that needs renovation. You put those two together and I think it's time that we renovate these two buildings."

On Monday, students at UNLV had mixed opinions about the fee increase.

The increase is intended to pay for the upcoming construction of a $50 million recreation center and $40 million in improvements of the student union.

The new recreation center will include features such as fitness classes, indoor basketball courts and even a climbing wall. The addition to the student union is expected to be completed during fall 2006, while the current student union will be renovated by summer 2007.

Although most students agreed that UNLV would benefit from the additional facilities, several underclassmen were opposed to the increase in fees.

"I don't think it's worth it," said freshman Renee Ingram. "From what I understand the new student union won't be open until 2007 or 2008. I don't think it's fair for us to have to pay for it since we're not even going to be able to use anything. I understand they need the money to come from somewhere, but I don't think it's fair for them to put this on us."

Ingram said that UNLV already has a great library to accommodate to students who want to study on campus.

"We don't really need added computers in the student union because if someone really wants to do that they can go to the library," she said. "They already have tons of study rooms and good computers."

Freshman Jennifer Galaraga agreed.

"It's just not fair because we would be the ones paying for it but we wouldn't be able to use it while we are students here," she said. "It's not right for us to have to pay for something we won't use."

Ingram added that the increase in fees would probably cause financial problems amongst some students.

"Many people are here on Millennium Scholarships and I have been told that they might start cutting back on those too," she said. "A higher tuition would cause problems for those students. Besides, a lot of people go here because of the low tuition. I think if tuition goes up we may even lose students."

While many students voiced their concerns, several upperclassmen noted the benefits of the new facilities.

Senior Paul Bitar, who helped to launch the additional facilities during his freshman year, said that although he will not be able to use them, the added recreation center and student union will better the university for future students.

"The thing is it was students who started the push for these new places," he said. "My freshman year I was on the Rebel Renovation Committee. Back in fall 2001, we sent a poll out to students asking what they would like to see added to campus and how much they were willing to pay to get it done."

Bitar said that they had a diverse panel, so nothing could bias the decision.

"The freshmen are originally who we thought of for the project," he said. "We thought that by doing this we could bring in more freshmen and bring in more students to UNLV. As for the freshmen and students here now, nothing's going to change much except for fees. But the freshmen behind them will benefit."

Student body president Monica M. Moradkhan agreed that everyone needs to look at this project for the long run.

"Basically, the incoming students are outgrowing the facility. If we build it, they will come," she said. "It's just like when we built the new library. We have this huge library now and students are really utilizing it."

So far, Moradkhan has not had many complaints regarding the potential increase.

"If people are complaining then it's either because they didn't poll back then or they were the minority that didn't want to do it," she said. "An important piece of information is that the students can come back and use the facilities after they graduate."

Moradkhan explained that for each semester the students pay the fees, they will be given a free pass to come back and use the facilities.

While this may give some incentive, others are not so easily convinced.

"I don't plan on coming back," said Ingram. "If I'm not a student anymore, then why would I come back? What if I decide to move?"

Galaraga agreed.

"We won't even have time to use it after college," she said. "We'll be doing our own thing, having a job and so basically we're paying for someone else to enjoy it.'

But it was someone else who paid for the new library that the students are using, Moradkhan said.

"The point is to improve attention and recruitment nationally and internationally," she said. "I give tours a lot and these kids are sometimes coming from other universities that have these great facilities. It is important for UNLV to provide services to its students. I hope that the board can understand that."

Moradkhan said she is not concerned with any financial problems the increase may cause.

"We're not worried about that because the added fees will be included in the student aid packages," she said. "There will be many options for different students where the fees will be covered in their aid."

Moradkhan hopes that the Board of Regents will adhere to the proposed projects and pass the tuition increase.

"Some of them don't agree with it, but you're never going to have an entire group agree on anything," she said. "What they need to do is think of the best interest for our students."

archive