The Associated Student, Inc. (ASI) Board of Directors will meet Wednesday to vote on a health services fee adjustment proposed by Campus Health and Wellbeing. Before the vote, the Board will discuss whether or not they will support the fee increase.
The proposal presents two options regarding the fee increase. Option A is a fee of $204 per quarter, which would be increasing the current fee by $99 per quarter. Option B is a fee of $219 per quarter, adding an additional $114 dollars to the current fee.
The current rhetoric of the solution supports Option B, according to Board of Directors representative for the College of Liberal Arts Rita Elfarissi. If approved, the fee increase will begin Fall 2018 and only new students would pay the adjusted fee.
“The purpose of ASI is to represent the voice of the students,” political science senior Elfarissi said. “All of our Board members have done a great job of attending the open forums, speaking in their classes, club meetings and club council meetings and have done their due diligence in terms of outreaching to students, so the discussion in the boardroom is reflective of what the Board members have heard from their constituents.”
ASI previously expressed concern over administration’s process regarding the fee adjustment and both of the options they presented.
If one of the two health fee options is approved, the university will hire additional medical and counseling staff in order to to cut wait times for walk-ins and future appointments in half. The fee would also expand Health Center hours and increase appointment availability.
“Campus Health and Wellbeing has presented to the ASI Board of Directors on a number of occasions regarding the proposed Health Services Fee,” ASI Board of Directors Chair and business administration junior Daniela Czerny said in an ASI-issued press release. “Board members have taken their role in this matter seriously as to ensure when President Armstrong makes his decision, he is doing so with board’s input in mind.”
The meeting is at 5:10 p.m. in the Julian A. McPhee University Union (building 65), room 220. It will be open to the public, with an open forum in the first 15 minutes.