Mustang News Staff Report
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After a tight vote against it, Cal Poly has decided not to implement an increase to the College of Liberal Arts (CLA) College-Based Fee in the fall of 2014, University President Jeffrey Armstrong and Provost Kathleen Enz Finken wrote in an email to CLA students Thursday.
Students in the College of Liberal Arts were asked to vote for the College-Based Fee (CBF), and the advisory vote was nearly split — 490 votes in favor and 493 against.
“While we believe the CBF is critical to the ongoing success of the college and greatly benefits CLA students, we feel it is important that students clearly agree before moving forward,” Armstrong and Enz Finken said in the email.
The CBF’s story, however, will not end with this first vote. Armstrong said the university plans to demonstrate the benefits of the fee to gain more support before calling for another vote.
“Once students understand the CBF proposal, we are confident there will be strong support for it,” Armstrong and Enz Finken said in the email. “It is important for students to know specifically where the funds will be spent and how they will directly benefit as a result.”
After “more robust dialogue and discussion” of the fee, Cal Poly intends to conduct another vote with CLA students. The earliest the fee would be in effect would be fall of 2015.
Sara Natividad contributed to this staff report.